Lord of the Wind
by teddylonglong
Summary: By chance, Harry discovers his Animagus abilities. At the age of nine, he flashes himself to Hogwarts in his phoenix form, hoping for a better life. Will he succeed? AU, partly OOC, abuse!Dursleys, adoption, de-aged!Minerva, An Animagus story.
1. Chapter 1

**Lord of the Wind**

**by teddylonglong**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

_I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes! This story was originally a daily page story and now that I am re-posting it in larger chapters, my wonderful beta mushcorn has begun to beta - Thank you, Musha!. However, most of the story is still unbeta-ed._

_Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, adoption, name change, time travel, Animagus story._

_This story is dedicated to my children, Skippylonglong and Quidditchlovingfabi!_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Seven-year-old Harry was running faster and faster, but, knowing that Dudley and his friends were bigger and faster, he frantically thought, '_I need to get away somehow_,' remembering how he had just appeared suddenly onto the school roof a few months ago. However, knowing that he had been in a lot of trouble afterwards, he feverishly wished to flee from his cousin in a way that others couldn't detect him.

Seconds later, he found himself in the top of a high tree. To his surprise, his vision had expanded greatly, and he was spiking feathers. '_Green feathers_,' he thought in disbelief. '_I must have changed into a bird. How's that possible?_' Looking downwards, he realised that he was indeed standing on two orange bird's feet.

Harry spent a while looking over the houses and gardens in the neighbourhood, noticing that each of them looked very similar to each other. He carefully flapped his wings, enjoying the slight breeze the movement caused on that hot summer day. When he turned his neck, he saw that his feathers were not all green. From the corners of his eyes he could see beautiful orange and white feathers on his back. '_The colours of my bird body are cool_,' he mused, wondering if he was able to fly. However, seeing how high the tree was, he decided to be on the safe side and wished himself down from the tree, knowing that it had worked on the way up earlier. Back on the ground, he wished himself back in to his human form, noticing in surprise and amazement that it was easy as just the thought had changed his form to what he had wanted.

'_Will I be able to wish myself to become a bird at any time?_' he wondered as he slowly returned to the Dursleys' home.

風の力を持つハリー

"Where have you been, you lazybones?" Petunia hissed at him as soon as he opened the backdoor. "Hurry up and make dinner."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Harry replied and obediently began with his chores, all the while his thoughts wandered to the beautiful bird he had become earlier.

During the following months, Harry often used the time when he was alone in his cupboard to change into his bird form, feeling totally delighted that it was so easy. '_I should go outside and try to fly_,' he thought one day, knowing that his relatives had gone out for dinner and would be gone for awhile. He made his way through the backdoor into the garden and changed into his bird's form, which only took seconds since he had practised so much. He stepped onto the grass, realising that it was very difficult to walk on his bird's feet.

'_Maybe flying is easier_,' he thought and hesitantly flapped his wings, slightly shivering at the cold breeze it caused. '_All right, I'll try once more_,' he thought anxiously, '_all birds can fly_.' This time he tried to lift his feet from the ground as he flapped his wings and managed to fly a few metres, before he crashed onto the ground, because he had tried to touch the ground with his feet. '_Okay, now I'm going to try a bit higher_,' he decided and tried again. This time, he managed to fly around the garden and, realising that it was a lot of fun to fly. He flew over the garage, over the street and even over Mrs. Figg's garden, before he returned once more to the spot from where he had started.

'_That was absolutely cool_,' he mused, suddenly feeling very tired. '_I better get inside and go to bed_,' he decided and changed back into his human form, before he reached for the handle of the kitchen door, only then did he realise that it had been locked while he was out enjoying his flying.

'_Oh no! What am I going to do now?_' he thought in shock, beginning to panic that he may be forced to spend the whole night outside. As it was the beginning of December, it was fairly cold. '_Maybe it'll be warmer in my bird's form_,' Harry thought in exasperation and transformed again when a sudden idea struck his mind.

'_I can try to wish myself back into the cupboard_,' Harry thought, and as he concentrated on landing in his tiny room, he flashed into his cupboard with a gust of wind accompanying him.

'_Wow, this is brilliant_,' he mused as he changed into his human form and let himself sink onto his mattress in exhaustion.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following weeks, Harry often used his new found power and flashed himself out in the garden at night when his relatives had gone to bed or even during the day, when he knew that the Dursleys were away for a few hours. He became more and more used to transforming and flashing, although he noticed soon that it was very tiring to wish himself from one place to another.

One day, Petunia stuck her head into the cupboard, handing Harry a list. "Here's a list with your chores. We're going away over the weekend. See to it that you finish all the chores before we return tomorrow night." With that, Petunia left, heading straight out the front door.

Shortly after, Harry heard the sounds of the car driving away. '_Oh cool, I have the whole weekend for myself_,' he mused happily, glancing at the list in his hand. '_I'll just go flying for a bit, and then I'll begin with my chores_,' he decided, placed the paper on his mattress and transformed into his bird form. He flashed out into the garden with a small gust of wind and lazily stretched his wings in the beautiful sunshine, enjoying the first warm sunrays of the early spring.

All of a sudden, a voice penetrated his ears. "Oh my, aren't you a beautiful phoenixxx."

#A phoenix?# Harry queried with surprise. Glancing in the direction of the voice, he saw a garden snake slither over the ground just in front of him. It was dark grey and had a small pattern in different shades of brown. #You're beautiful as well. I'm not really a bird though. I'm a boy, but I discovered last summer that I can change into a bird,# he trilled happily.

"I'm sssorry, little one, but I can't understand you," the snake hissed, causing Harry to throw it a curious look. "I can only understand other snakesss."

Harry gave the snake a sharp look, and instants later, he instinctively changed into the form of a snake. "Can you understand me now?" he queried as he curled up in order to get a glimpse at his own body. '_Black with a green pattern of leaves_,' he noticed absently while he wondered how and why he had managed to become a snake.

"Oh yesss, now I can understand your wordsss, but I don't know how you're able to change between your formsss. I've never seen anyone like you before. Which iss your normal form?" the snake queried in a gentle voice.

"I'm a boy," Harry replied in a small voice, only to add to himself, '_and a freak_.'

"Ah, you musst be the small boy that always doess the choresss here," the snake replied. "I do not envy you with such a horrible family. Very well, I have to go and ssearch for food. I have to feed my babiesss. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Harry agreed, knowing that he had to begin with his chores anyway. "It was nice to meet you. Bye now."

'_I wonder if I'll be able to change into more animals_,' Harry mused as he let himself sink onto his mattress after a long day of chores. '_I'd love to speak with the tabby cat sometime, who often comes and sits on the wall behind the garage and seems to be watching my every move_.'

Unbeknownst to Harry, the tabby cat, which often spent her Saturday mornings observing the Dursleys' home, had watched the phoenix arrive just in front of the back door, transform into a snake and finally change into a small boy with absolute amazement.

To Harry's disappointment, he didn't have a chance to change into his bird form whenever the cat was sitting on the wall, because either Petunia or Vernon were always nearby, watching him do his chores.

風の力を持つハリー

It was at the beginning of the summer holidays that Harry accidentally burned the meat he was supposed to fry for lunch, causing Petunia to shout at him and hit him with the hot frying pan on the head, before she left him crying on the floor and decided to take Dudley out for lunch.

Harry remained sitting on the kitchen floor, gripping his achy head with both hands, barely noticing that the tabby cat had left its position on the wall and was standing in front of the backdoor, sternly looking into the kitchen. '_Maybe I'll feel better in my bird form_,' he mused and transformed. '_That was stupid. My headache is better now, but I should have gone outside before changing_,' he soon realised as he struggled to walk on his bird feet, stumbling and landing on his stomach after every second step. '_I just can't get used to these feet_,' he groaned inwardly as he finally reached the open backdoor and jumped outside.

Still feeling a little dazed, he remained next to the door for a while, turning his head until it came to rest on his back feathers. After a few minutes of resting and recalling the earlier events, he felt better and at the same time became very annoyed at his aunt's behaviour. '_It was bad of me to not take better care and burn the meat, but did Aunt Petunia have to hit me with the frying pan?_' he thought, suddenly feeling his stomach grumble. Realising that Petunia had forgotten to give him any chores to do during her absence, he allowed his phoenix instincts to take over. He took off into the air and flew a few rounds around the garden, just barely above his aunt's beautiful flowerbeds, not realising that the flowers obviously didn't like the swirling blasts of wind every time he beat his wings.

Suddenly, Harry's attention was drawn to the wall as he heard a soft voice. The tabby cat was sitting on the wall once again. Just a few metres separated it from Harry, and it was craning its neck to watch him with interest. =You better stop doing that,= the cat admonished him gently, pointing to the flowerbeds, which Harry had just left behind. =Otherwise, you'll be in a lot of trouble.=

Harry made a soft landing right in front of the wall and looked back at the flowerbeds, realising in horror that they looked as if a storm had just passed over them. #Oops, I'm sorry. Would you mind not telling my aunt, please?# he asked hesitantly.

=I'm sorry, but I can't understand you,= the cat informed him, and Harry had the impression as if her stern expression slowly stretched to a small smile.

Instinctively knowing that he would be able to change into a cat like he used to transform into his snake form from time to time when he wanted to communicate with the garden snake, Harry concentrated on changing his phoenix body into the form of a cat, sighing in relief as he noticed that he managed to transform smoothly. A fine coat of black fur had replaced his green wings, and Harry tentatively took a step on his cat's feet, before he tried to jump up onto the wall. Unfortunately, his body, which was not used to the unknown form yet, failed to reach the wall, causing the small cat to fall back onto the ground, where he came to lie on his back.

The tabby cat shook its head in exasperation as it jumped from the wall and gently nudged the smaller cat back on his feet.

=If this is the first time you changed into your cat form, you have to practise a bit, before you try to jump onto walls,= the grey cat scolded Harry lightly.

=I guess you're right,= he replied in a small voice. =Thank you so much for rescuing me.=

=Is my assumption correct that you're Harry?= the cat queried, throwing him a questioning look from her eyes that had strange quadratic markings around them.

=Yes,= Harry replied in surprise. =Why...= He slowly trailed off and looked anxiously at the tabby cat, feeling grateful that it apparently decided to remain on the ground with him.

=I am an Animagus just like you, although I'm only able to transform into my cat form, while you seem to be a multiple Animagus and a natural Animagus on top of it. My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I'm a teacher at Hogwarts, which is the magical school that you're supposed to attend in three years' time. Your parents were my students, and I knew them very well. I've even knew you as well when you were a baby, Harry. That's why I've been coming here to check on you sometimes on the weekends.=

Harry was too stunned to say anything and merely looked at the other cat in amazement, trying to completely understand her explanation.

=Well, I better clean up your aunt's flowerbeds,= the cat said gently, and Harry observed in disbelief as his new friend changed into an older woman. In spite of the summer heat, she was dressed in what seemed to be a long, green coat, and she wore her brown hair tightened into a tight bun. The woman waved a stick, and the flowers straightened, looking even fresher than they had appeared before. With another wave of her stick, the grass was freshly cut, and Harry threw the woman a grateful look, knowing that he would have probably had to cut the grass during the next few days, but she just saved him a lot of time on that chore.

=That was brilliant! Thank you,= he breathed, looking at the tall woman in absolute amazement.

=You're most welcome. You'll be able to do magic like this in a few years' time,= the professor said soothingly after quickly transforming back into her cat's form. =You must be careful though. You seem to be a wind phoenix, and every time you fly or flash you cause quite a whirl of wind around yourself.=

Harry and the professor spent the whole afternoon talking, before Harry had to hurriedly transform back into his phoenix form and flash into his cupboard when he heard his aunt and cousin entering the house.

Over the following few months, Harry often recalled his conversation with the cat professor as he called her to himself since he couldn't remember the name she had told him. '_I am a wizard; that's why I can transform into animals, and that's why the Dursleys call me a freak_,' he realised, wondering if it was true what the professor had told him – that he was supposed to attend her school when he was eleven. '_The Dursleys will never allow me to go to that school_,' he thought sadly.

風の力を持つハリー

A fortnight before Christmas, Harry's and Dudley's class at the primary school held a Christmas party for the parents and pupils. Their teacher took the opportunity to decorate the hall with the pictures of Christmas scenes, which the children had painted, and Harry noticed in amazement that his picture was the very first picture in the hall, so that it caught everyone's eye first. He looked proudly at his picture that showed himself together with Father Christmas, who was holding a present in his hand. '_Maybe I'll get a present this year_,' Harry mused in desperation, staring at the present in Father Christmas' hand. All of a sudden, while he was still looking at the picture, Father Christmas leaned down to Harry, gently handing him the present. Unfortunately, Harry's final touch to his picture that made the persons move caused the spectators to panic.

Thirty minutes later, Harry found himself back in his cupboard with a very sore backside and head, his uncle's enraged voice still ringing in his ears, "Boy, you are to never do freakish things in our presence again, you ungrateful little urchin."

'_I'll just flash away_,' Harry thought and transformed into his phoenix form, wishing himself to flash to some place in the magical world, of which the cat professor had told him, where he would find people who would not hate him because of being a wizard. Seconds later, he felt a huge wind come up, which became faster and faster.

風の力を持つハリー

Harry reappeared right in front of a huge door that chose exactly that moment to be flung open. Unfortunately, the storm Harry had brought with him caused the door to open so fast that it hit the phoenix full force.

#Ouch,# Harry trilled at the sudden pain, unconsciously flinching back as he saw himself in front of black human legs. He backed up slightly, moaning a bit at the pain the small movement caused his sore head, until his ears took in a soft, silky voice.

"Are you all right?" the tall man, who was standing in front of the phoenix and was dressed completely in black, asked softly as he crouched in front of the obviously hurt bird and gently held his hand out for the phoenix to step on it.

'_He must be a wizard, because he's wearing similar clothes to the cat professor_,' Harry mused and hesitantly stepped onto the man's hand.

"Did you get hurt when you hit the door?" the man asked again, causing Harry to slightly nod, wincing as it caused his head to hurt even more.

#It's all right, sir. My head hurts a bit, but I'll be fine,# he trilled softly.

"Unfortunately, I can't understand you. Are you the familiar of anyone living nearby? I've never seen you around before."

#No.# Harry carefully shook his head, just a little bit, and thought, '_I want the man to understand me. How can I do that? I don't want to change back to my human form. People are much nicer to me if I'm in my phoenix form_.' He threw the kind man a helpless look. #How can I make you understand, sir? I don't know.#

The man remained pensive for a moment, before he decided, "I'll take you to the Headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore has a phoenix, and he might be able to translate. Do you agree?"

Harry once more nodded slightly, and the man raised his hand towards his shoulder, motioning the bird to step onto his shoulder. Harry looked around at the moving paintings to both sides of the corridor in fascination. '_Like in my picture of Father Christmas_,' he thought while the black wizard carried him into a huge, round room that looked like a very old office. '_This is a fantastic room_,' Harry thought, startled when he suddenly saw himself face to face with a very old wizard, who looked like Father Christmas in his picture that he had painted earlier that day.

#Hello, little nestling. Come onto my perch and introduce yourself.#

Only now, Harry noticed the phoenix that was sitting on a perch next to the Father Christmas' person's desk. '_Won't I hurt the man if I flap my wings?_' Harry thought anxiously and threw the tall man a grateful look when he gently placed him onto the perch, before he began to explain to the Headmaster and his phoenix how he had found Harry.

#You can only speak to the human one, if you bond to him like I'm bonded to the Headmaster,# the other phoenix, who introduced himself as Fawkes, advised him. #The snarky one is not too nice, but he has a good heart, and it'll be good for both of you to have each other. I'm sure, because I've already known him for many egg turns. Hogwarts is a good old place to put your nest in. We always get as much in our beaks as we want, and I'd love to have a friend to play with, even if you're still a nestling.#

#All right then, what do I have to do?# Harry queried, feeling very glad to have a friend. '_I hope he'll stay my friend. I shouldn't tell anyone that I'm human_,' he decided, turning his eyes to the two wizards, who were talking animatedly.

#You only have to think, '_I want to bond to the black and grumpy one,'_# Fawkes instructed Harry, who closely followed the humans' conversation.

"Albus, I don't need a familiar, and I definitely do not want a feathered rag like yours," the tall man sneered, sounding very annoyed at the thought.

#Ah, just ignore him; he's always like that, but he'll get used to you,# Fawkes said firmly, motioning Harry to bond with the tall wizard.

'_I want to bond with the unnice man, who was still very nice to me_,' Harry thought, and all of a sudden he felt very happy, although he couldn't really place what had happened.

#You look much happier. I guess you're bonded now,# Fawkes stated, smirking.

"Severus, I believe that you don't have a choice. Your familiar seems to have chosen you and already bonded with you," the Headmaster said, and Harry noticed that the old man's eyes began to twinkle happily.

#Tell him that you're a wind phoenix and your name is Gaoithe,# Fawkes instructed the younger phoenix. #Don't forget to address him as Professor unless he tells you otherwise.#

#Gwee-ha?# Harry asked in disbelief, trying to pronounce the difficult name.

#Of course, you need a proper name if you're bonded to a Hogwarts professor. Gaoithe is Gaelic and means wind. Yes, the pronunciation is Gweeha,# Fawkes confirmed.

#Hello Professor. My name is Gaoithe, and I'm a wind phoenix,# Harry said obediently, causing the professor to step in front of the perch.

"Very well, Gaoithe; I am Severus Snape," he said in the soft, silky voice he had used with Harry earlier.

"Severus, I suggest that you take Gaoithe to your quarters then," the Headmaster spoke up, before he called, "Twinkle, Cicero."

With a small pop, two funny creatures appeared in front of the professors, bowing so deep that their ears flapped over the floor. "What can Cicero and Twinkle dos for Master Professor Dumbledore, sir?" one of them queried.

Harry stared at the two creatures in amazement. Never before had he seen such beings.

#The left one is Twinkle, the Headmaster's house-elf, and the other one is Cicero, the elf of your familiar,# Fawkes informed him quietly, causing Harry to throw his new friend a grateful smile.

"Twinkle, this is Gaoithe, Professor Snape's new familiar. Please help Cicero to install a perch for him and instruct him how to care for a phoenix," the Headmaster ordered his elf, who bowed and nodded enthusiastically, before the two elves left with a small pop.

'_They seem to be very funny_,' Harry mused. '_I already love being here_.'

"Very well then. Gaoithe, I suggest that we retreat to my quarters then. By the way, you were hit by the entrance doors quite fiercely. Are you hurt in any way?" Severus queried, looking piercingly at his familiar.

Harry squirmed under the professor's sharp look. #My head still hurts a bit, but it's not bad, other than that I'm fine,# he admitted in a small voice, not wanting the man to think of him as a nuisance if he admitted how much his head hurt.

"All right; I'll give you a headache potion. I just have to consult two friends who might know more about birds and possible doses of potions I can give you, as I am unfamiliar in how I can treat a bird," Severus replied and invited Harry to step onto his hand once again. "You don't know how much of a headache potion I can give Gaoithe, do you, Albus?" he turned back to the Headmaster.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I can't recall Fawkes being in need of a potion," Dumbledore replied gently, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

#That's because I always speak to Twinkle if I need anything. The elves have a wonderful Healer, Misty. She has already helped me several times,# Fawkes informed Harry, who threw him a grateful look and quickly translated for the professor.

On their way out of the office, Harry heard his familiar mumble something like, "Lemon drops can't cure everything, Albus."

風の力を持つハリー

Harry was already drifting off to sleep when the tall professor finally arrived in front of a door that was guarded by a stern looking man and a huge snake. "This is Gaoithe, my familiar," the man shortly introduced him to the wizard in the picture, before he said in a smaller voice and apparently without any context, "Lily."

"Oh, what a beautiful phoenix. A wind phoenix I suppose," the wizard said approvingly, and the snake seemed to agree.

"He looks niccce," the snake hissed, causing Harry to throw her an appreciative smile.

"Now if you don't mind letting us in; it's already quite late," Severus said impatiently, causing the door to open instantly, revealing a huge, round room that was built around a fireplace and was surrounded by bookshelves, which reached from the floor to the ceiling.

Harry looked around in absolute amazement. '_This room is just wonderful_,' he thought as the professor nudged him to step onto his new perch, which the elves had set up in front of the fireplace.

"Cicero!" Severus called his house-elf, who appeared in a blink and to Harry's surprise did not bow like the elf had earlier in the Headmaster's office. "Fawkes told Gaoithe something about Misty healing him when he had health problems. Misty is Poppy's elf, isn't she?"

"Yes, Master Severus. Misty is also the Healer of all the elves, and she is very good. Shall I fetch her?"

"Yes please."

An instant later, Cicero returned with another elf in tow. Severus shortly explained to Misty what had happened, and Misty turned to Harry. "Don't be afraid, little one. I'm just going to check on you," she said gently, before she waved her hand over him.

Harry could feel a tingling sensation pass over his body, but it was over in a few seconds. "He has a concussion," Misty explained to Severus. "He must rest, and you have to keep him warm. Give him a spoonful of the normal headache potion every six hours. I come back to check on him in two days' time." Turning to Harry, she continued, "You must not fly or flash for a week, only rest."

"I will see to it," Severus promised and thanked the small elf, who gently laid her hand on Harry's head to pet his head feathers.

'_Feels good_,' Harry mused as Misty let quite an amount of Healing magic flow into his body. Before the house-elf even popped away, he was already fast asleep.

風の力を持つハリー

When Harry woke up in the morning and lazily opened his eyes, he saw that Severus was hovering in front of his perch, apparently considering if he should wake him up or let him sleep. "Oh good you're awake, Gaoithe," the professor said softly. "I need you to take your potion."

#All right,# Harry agreed sleepily and obediently opened his beak, so that the professor could empty the teaspoon he was holding in his hand into his beak. Unfortunately, Harry had never before taken any medicine what so ever, and his phoenix instincts took over, making him gag at the foul taste as soon as the cool liquid hit his tongue. Before Harry knew what he was doing, he had already spat more than half of the liquid out.

#Oh no, I'm sorry. I've never taken potions before, and I was too surprised at the taste. I didn't mean to do that,# he hurriedly apologized and quickly swallowed the rest of the liquid, hesitantly throwing the professor an assessing glance. '_Oh no, and Fawkes told me he was the one brewing the potions_,' he suddenly remembered, feeling even worse at the thought. '_He will be so angry_,' he thought, anxiously waiting for the explosion that was sure to come.

'_How dare he_,' was Severus' first reaction as his new familiar had the gall to spit the potion out he had just spoon-fed him. However, as the bird began to apologize, he couldn't help taking pity at the innocent creature. "Very well; it's not my fault if you're suffering from a headache," he finally stated, raising an eyebrow at the clearly shocked bird.

#Yes sir, I'm sorry sir,# the phoenix apologized once again, throwing him an anxious look.

"It's all right. Don't do it again," Severus replied. "Now, my first morning class is going to begin soon. Under normal conditions, I'd take your perch with me to my classroom, so that you could watch; however, since Misty ordered you to rest and told me to keep you warm, I suggest that you remain here in front of the fireplace for today. These rooms as well as the classroom are in the dungeons, and your place here in front of the fireplace is the only warm spot around," he said thoughtfully.

#That's all right, sir,# the phoenix replied, still sounding sleepy. #It's not light outside anyway, so I'll sleep some more.#

"Very well then; I'm going to leave the doors ajar, so that you can call me if you need me. However, only disturb my class if it's absolutely necessary. I'll return to check on you between classes."

#All right, sir. Thank you, sir.# With that, the phoenix turned his head onto his back and went back to sleep.

'_He must be feeling better_,' Severus mused as he recalled that Hagrid had told him only sick birds slept with their head forward, when he had helped him look after a sick owl before. '_Last night, he didn't turn his head backwards_.'

風の力を持つハリー

Severus headed to his classroom, groaning inwardly at the thought of having to teach the first year Slytherin and Gryffindor class. '_These Weasley twins top all the mischief makers I've had before_,' he thought. '_On the other hand, both of them are more adept at Potions than the rest of their family combined_.'

The Potions Master absentmindedly observed his students brew an easy Healing potion but couldn't prevent his thoughts from returning to the beautiful bird that was currently occupying his perch in the living room. '_I still can't understand why a phoenix would want to bond with me, the greasy bat of the dungeons, especially as I have the Dark Mark. I thought phoenixes were pure birds, only able to bond with good people_.' A small voice at the back of his head spoke up, '_You are good, Severus. You made a mistake, due to the circumstances, but that doesn't make you a bad person; otherwise, the phoenix wouldn't have bonded with you_.'

Severus let out a long sigh, before he told the annoying voice, '_Oh shut up. What do you know? If I had been good, maybe I'd have managed to keep Lily at that time. Apart from that, it's not as if I needed such a good for nothing familiar like the Headmaster's anyway_.'

'_Oh, I'm sure having a familiar will do you a lot of good_,' the annoying little voice still had the gall to counter. '_It sounds like the Headmaster_,' Severus mused, suddenly looking up as he was pulled out of his thoughts when a small explosion shook the classroom.

風の力を持つハリー

Harry abruptly jerked out of his dreams when the professor began to shout, "Weasley and Weasley, detention with me tonight!"

He lazily stretched his legs and his wings and began to trill a soothing melody, instinctively knowing that it would help to calm his familiar. By the time the professor came to check on him between classes, his mood had lightened considerably.

#Is everything all right, sir?# Harry asked softly.

"Oh well, there are always dunderheads, especially among the Gryffindors, who don't understand that you can't play pranks on your classmates while brewing potions," Severus replied, shaking his head. "Thanks to them, I have to supervise their detention tonight instead of spending the evening here with you." With that, the Potions Master headed back to his next class.

'_I'd love to learn how to brew potions_,' Harry mused. '_It's probably a bit similar to cooking. Too bad I can't tell my familiar that I'm human and can cook meals. I won't be able to cook or brew in my phoenix form_.'

風の力を持つハリー

#I'd love to see your classroom, sir,# he told the professor when the man returned from dinner. #I don't feel cold anymore. Please, may I come with you?#

"All right," Severus replied, sighing. "We'll take your perch with us then," he resolved, inviting Harry to step onto his right hand, from where he led him towards his left shoulder.

'_I like this spot_,' Harry mused. '_It's warm, and his hair has the smell of herbs_.' #No, we don't need the perch. I'm sure I'll find something to sit on,# he trilled quickly, knowing that it had to be inconvenient for the man to carry his perch through the rooms all the time.

"Very well then, if you're sure," Severus replied. "Don't pick at my ear, Gaoithe," he scolded him lightly, gently moving the phoenix's orange peak away from his ear. "Now, where do you want to sit? Is the back of that chair agreeable with you?"

#On top of that shelf please,# Harry decided, turning his beak towards a shelf that was full with extremely interesting looking ingredients.

"That's too dangerous," Severus decided and placed the bird on a higher shelf, which was half empty and only held books instead of glasses with frog eggs and other potions ingredients.

Harry happily made himself comfortable on the shelf, watching in amazement as two identical looking boys entered the classroom and immediately pulled his familiar into a discussion.

"Professor, we're sorry..."

"We only wanted..."

"... to give a small payback..."

"... to one of the Slytherins..."

"... who..."

'_They're too funny_,' Harry mused, letting out a small giggle.

"What was that?" one of the boys asked the other.

"Anyway, Weasley and Weasley..."

Harry couldn't help chuckling at the professor's voice. '_I love his voice. It sounds so soothing_,' he mused, '_but it's funny if he seems annoyed, as long as he isn't annoyed at me_.'

"There is something strange in this classroom tonight, Professor," the twins said simultaneously, glancing around in surprise.

"Nothing is strange," Severus snarled. "Anyway, you're going to prepare the ingredients for this potion for me." He pointed to a recipe that was laid out on a table. "Now, get to work."

Harry watched in amusement as the twins began to gather the requested ingredients; however, it soon became boring and he turned his head onto his back to take a short nap. Unfortunately, his nap was interrupted soon afterwards, when one of the twins accidentally dropped a glass that hit the floor with a loud bang.

"Sorry Professor, but there's a green ball of wool or something on your shelf..." one of the twins said.

"... and it's moving," the other completed the sentence, causing Harry to look down from his shelf and chuckle again.

Severus smirked as realisation set in and sneered, "The green ball of wool, as you so eloquently call it, is my phoenix familiar Gaoithe, and now continue with your work. You can deem yourself extremely lucky that I cast an unbreakable charm on the glass with the sharks fangs you just tried to break. Otherwise I would use your fingers as potions ingredients instead."

#They're too funny,# Harry trilled in a small voice and proceeded to closely examine the books nearby. '_A Beginners Introduction to the Fine Art of Brewing_,' he read with excitement, realising that his eye sight was much better than it was in his human form. '_That sounds very interesting. Would Severus mind if I read a bit?_' He carefully used his beak and his right foot to open the book and was soon completely engrossed in his reading. Only when the twins were finished with their work and looked up, beginning to laugh aloud at his sight, the professor noticed what he was doing.

"What do you think you're you doing, Gaoithe? I do not wish to see any dog-ears in my books. Are you able to read at all?"

#Yes sir; I love to read, and I promise to be very careful,# Harry trilled anxiously. #Please sir, let me continue; this book is so interesting.#

"What did he say, sir?" the twins asked simultaneously, causing the Potions Master to throw them an irritated look.

"He is doing something that you should remember to do from time to time, reading a book. Now clean the dirty cauldrons over there, and you'll be dismissed."

The twins obediently set to work, glancing up to the shelf, on which the phoenix was completely engrossed in his reading, from time to time. "He seems to be very alert. We should try to coax him into playing pranks with us," George whispered to Fred, causing the twins to chuckle in expectation.

_tbc..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Severus followed their looks with amazement. '_I didn't know that birds could read_,' he thought in surprise. '_Oh well, a phoenix is not a normal bird of course. I thought parrots were the most intelligent birds with an intelligence of five-year-old children, but five-year-olds wouldn't be able to read a potions book. Maybe phoenixes do have a higher intellect than parrots. I have to ask Albus, if Fawkes does as much as read books_,' he decided, noticing that the bird was very careful when he turned the page with his right foot. '_Well, as long as he treats my books well, I don't mind him reading. The more he knows about potions, the more possibilities we have to lead half-way interesting conversations_.'

Severus was pulled out of his thoughts when the twins appeared in front of him. "Finished, sir," they informed him in their most annoying way of talking simultaneously.

"Very well. Get out of my sight then," he said, dismissing the dunderheads in anticipation of a peaceful, quiet evening with his new familiar. '_I'll quiz him to see if he understood anything he read_,' he thought, smirking as he called the phoenix.

"Gaoithe, the detention is over. Shall we go home?"

Harry looked up in confusion, only to notice Severus hovering in front of the shelf, ready to take him back onto his shoulder.

#Oh, sorry sir." After a quick glance on the page number, he closed the book and accepted the invitation onto the Potions Master's shoulder.

"Shall we take the book with us to the living room? You might be more comfortable on the table than on the shelf," Severus queried.

#Oh yes please, thank you sir,# Harry replied with a happy trill.

Severus let himself sink onto his favourite armchair in front of the fireplace, placing the book on the table in front of him, before he brought his right hand in front of the bird's feet to move the phoenix, so that he came to sit on his knee and they could better see each other.

"Very well, let's see if you have understood what you read," he sneered, causing Harry to squirm anxiously and finally quickly flash back to his perch, causing Severus to throw him a confused look.

#I'm sorry sir,# Harry trilled and quickly released himself, before he returned to the professor's knee. #All right sir.#

Severus sighed in relief at the bird's thoughtfulness and in exasperation at the same time. "Gaoithe, you must remember that you're not supposed to flash or fly for the time being. Tell me if you need to return to your perch, and I'll take you there."

#Yes sir, sorry sir.#

"Very well then," the professor began thoughtfully, "how do you know if an herb is magical or non magical?"

#You either know or you won't be able to tell the difference, before you cook...err... sorry, brew it.#

"Correct," Severus said approvingly. "When is the only time in the month moon fern takes on its magical qualities?"

#Early in the morning after the full moon, sir,# Harry replied eagerly.

"And why is it essential that it has its magical qualities?"

#Because only then it works in Healing potions,# Harry replied, letting out a huge yawn.

"Oh, I believe someone is ready for bed. Let's see if you properly manage to take your potion this time."

'_I mustn't spit it out, I mustn't spit it out, I..._' Harry repeated to himself as he obediently licked the liquid from the spoon the professor offered, noticing with amazement that his headache that had been lingering the whole evening vanished in the blink of an eye. '_I love potions_,' he mused as his eyes drooped and he drifted off to sleep within seconds.

風の力を持つハリー

Severus fetched the potions journal and retreated to his favourite armchair, fully intending to spend a quiet evening, when the fireplace flared and the Headmaster stepped through.

"Hello Severus. I just wanted to see how you get along with your new familiar. Oh, he is already asleep," Dumbledore stated in surprise.

"Yes, he is not completely well. He has a concussion, and he probably tired himself out, because he spent the whole evening reading a potions book," Severus replied, smirking at the Headmaster's surprised expression.

"Your phoenix reads books?" he finally asked in disbelief, absentmindedly unwrapping a lemon drop.

"Gaoithe told me he loves to read, and when I did a quick pop quiz with him, he managed to flawlessly answer all questions," Severus replied, feeling strangely proud at his intelligent familiar.

"Fawkes would never do as much as look at a book," Dumbledore said in a regretting tone. "He asked me if he could come and play with Gaoithe, by the way. Do you think...?"

Severus sighed. "Gaoithe is not allowed to flash or fly for the rest of the week. Apart from that, I'm sure he'd love to play with Fawkes. I took him with me to the Potions classroom for the Weasley twins' detention this evening, and he was chuckling and giggling at the twins' antics all the time, until he discovered the book, which he decided to read."

"Oh well, I'll send Fawkes over in the morning then. Maybe he can teach Fawkes to read instead of doing nonsense all day. Today, he managed to hide my lemon drops behind the bookshelf, and I was about to take the Floo to Hogsmeade to buy more, when the Sorting Hat told me where to find them."

"Fawkes will do better not to put ideas into Gaoithe's head," Severus replied sternly, shaking his head in annoyance.

However, Fawkes couldn't think of anything better than to plant ideas into the smaller phoenix's head. #I have a fantastic idea, Gaoithe,# Fawkes told him when Severus was teaching his last morning class. #However, we have to find a charm first, but since my old grumpy one told me you can read, it shouldn't be a problem. Let's flash to the library.#

#I'm not allowed to flash at the moment,# Harry replied hesitantly, causing Fawkes to chuckle.

#All right then, grab my tail feathers, CAREFULLY, and I'll take you with me.# With that, the phoenix flashed away in a small wave of flames.

#Wow, this room is just wonderful,# Harry breathed, looking around in absolute amazement.

#You really seem to love books. What's so interesting with them? They're just old parchments,# Fawkes replied, fluffing his feathers in ignorance.

#I just love to read. Now, what are we looking for?" Harry asked impatiently.

#We need to know a duplicating charm in order to make many chocolate frogs out of just one,# Fawkes explained. #While you find the charm, I'll flash to Honeydukes to get the chocolate frog.#

#Um... Wait, Fawkes. How am I supposed to get the books out of the shelf, and how do I know where to look for the spell you need? I have no idea where to find that.#

#Hmmm, nor do I,# Fawkes admitted thoughtfully. #Oh well, then I have a better idea. In fact, I am bonded to one of the house-elves. Tony is still a nestling, but he often helps me do mischief, and he has even interpreted for me once, when I wanted to speak with one of the students. Since I'm bonded to him, he can understand me, and of course he knows human talk as well.#

#Do you know the Weasley twins?# Harry queried. #They seem to be very funny. I'm sure they'd love to play a prank with us.#

#All right then, I'll call Tony,# Fawkes replied. #Tony!#

A small elf appeared in the blink of an eye. "Hello Fawkes, hello Gaoithe."

#Hi Tony. We need your help in order to prank my old grumpy familiar. Can you help us find a duplicate charm or help us talk to the Weasley twins?#

"Tony wills be happy to helps you talks with the twins," Tony replied softly, and his brown eyes began to shine happily. "Lunchtime is just beginning. Do you wants me to pop you to them? If you stay on my shoulder you'll be invisible with me. I wills only turn visible for the twins," Tony promised, smiling when Fawkes and Harry jumped onto his shoulder.

An instant later, they found themselves in a classroom. #Where are we?# Harry asked in surprise.

#The Transfiguration classroom,# Fawkes whispered back. #Beware of the teacher; she's a strict old bag and not as easy to prank as the old grumpy one.#

"Oh, the green ball of wool from last night," the Weasley twins chuckled at their sight, and Harry listened in amazement how Tony translated Fawkes' idea to the twins.

"Meet us in the small alcove next to the entrance hall right before dinner," the twins instructed them. "We'll try to find the charm until then."

風の力を持つハリー

The two phoenixes, the elf and the two first years met shortly before dinner, and the twins confirmed that they had found the charm and had already tried to practise it on their homework. "We hope that's the charm you meant," they finished together.

#I think so,# Fawkes replied and instructed them to wait while he checked if the Headmaster's office was empty. #The old grumpy one is attending dinner. Let's flash into his office.#

While the two phoenixes flashed, Tony popped the twins. Together they pointed their wands at the chocolate frog that Fawkes had placed on the Headmaster's desk and cast the spell, which they had practised earlier, causing a second chocolate frog to appear right next to the other one.

#Now you have to cast another spell, "Perpetuo",# Fawkes instructed them, and Tony quickly translated.

The twins obediently cast the spell Fawkes had told them, and Harry observed in amazement as the two chocolate frogs multiplied. An instant later, Dumbledore's desk was completely covered in chocolate frogs that tried to jump away, causing a complete chaos.

#Let's get out of here quickly,# Fawkes chuckled, and the small group hurriedly left the Headmaster's office, returning back to the alcove next to the entrance hall.

#That worked very well. Thank you for the good laugh I'm going to get during the next few hours,# Fawkes chuckled.

"You're welcome...."

"... We'll always be ready to play pranks with you," the twins replied after Tony translated Fawkes' trills.

#We'll make sure to think about something else,# Fawkes promised with a mischievous grin on his face.

With that, the group split up, and Fawkes took Harry back to Severus quarters.

#Well, Gaoithe, that was a lot of fun, wasn't it? I'll go back now, but I'll come and tell you about Albus' reaction later on,# Fawkes promised, only to return two minutes later. #May I remain here with you for a while, Gaoithe? The Headmaster will probably return to his office soon, and I'd prefer not to be there when he discovers the chocolate frogs. They are everywhere, jumping along his desk, on the bookshelves, on the torches – oh well, just everywhere. The office looks like after an explosion in a sweetshop. Even Sopho, the Sorting Hat, is covered in chocolate. I tried to eat one of the frogs, but I couldn't, because new chocolate frogs keep jumping down from the shelves and even from the ceiling.#

#U-oh; that sounds like trouble. Of course you can stay here,# Harry replied as he lazily stretched his wings and made himself comfortable on his perch.

By the time Severus returned from dinner, he found his familiar deep engrossed in a conversation with his friend. Both phoenixes were wearing extremely innocent expressions and were chuckling mischievously. '_I wonder what kind of mischief they got themselves into_,' he mused as he fetched a pile of parchments from his office settled down in his favourite armchair. However, it wouldn't take long for him to find out how his familiar had spent the day.

Only a few minutes later, Dumbledore's head appeared in the fireplace. "Severus, can you come and help me for a moment? This is a complete mess..."

#You better feign being busy,# Harry trilled urgently, causing Severus to give him a thoughtful look.

"I'm sorry, Albus, but I've just been called away to a fight in the dungeon corridors," he said hurriedly, glad that he had just been crossing the room to fetch Gaoithe's potion when the Headmaster had looked out of the fireplace.

"Oh, I see. Never mind; I'll ask Minerva then," Dumbledore replied in understanding and cut the connection off.

Severus spun around to face the phoenixes, raising an eyebrow at Harry. "Thank you, Gaoithe, for saving me from whatever it was; however, I'd like to hear an explanation," he said sternly, causing Fawkes to let out a few quick trills.

#Tell him that it was not your fault. It was the twins and I,# Fawkes trilled, chuckling.

#Um... We... no, Fawkes instructed someone to find a charm that made a chocolate frog duplicate, and they cast it at a chocolate frog in the Headmaster's office, and now his office is full with chocolate frogs. I'm sorry, sir,# Harry admitted in a small voice, throwing Severus a hesitant look. '_I just hope he won't throw me out_,' he mused, terrified at the thought. #Please sir, I only watched, and I promise not to allow them to do such a thing to you,# he added, panicking.

"Someone cast a multiple self-duplicating charm on a chocolate frog in the Headmaster's office?" Severus repeated in disbelief as an image of Albus drowning in chocolate frogs crossed his mind. '_That's exactly the right prank to play on Albus_,' he thought as he tried to give the two phoenixes a menacing glare but failed miserably, not able to suppress the grin that crept onto his face. "Thank you, Gaoithe, for preventing me from going to help the Headmaster," he finally said, causing Harry to chuckle in relief at the professor's reaction.

#Oh well, I'll go and have a look. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Gaoithe,# Fawkes trilled happily and flashed away.

#Pity that we can't see the result,# Harry mused aloud, causing Severus to silently agree.

"I need to grade some parchments; would you like to continue reading? Later on, I have to go to the Slytherin common room to check on my students; you may accompany me if you wish," Severus suggested, and Harry agreed happily.

#Sir, can we speak about what I read afterwards again? I loved that we did so yesterday,# he asked in a small voice, causing Severus to give him an appreciative nod.

"Of course we can do that, and if you have questions, you may ask me at any time," he replied softly. '_I'm glad to have Gaoithe as familiar; he matches my character so much more than Fawkes would_,' he mused as he gently took the phoenix from his perch and sat him onto the table, remembering that he wasn't allowed to flash or fly yet.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following days, Severus and Harry became quickly used to each other, and Severus couldn't help feeling happy at the phoenix's presence, although he would never admit that to anyone, not even to himself. As soon as Misty allowed Gaoithe to flash and fly, the bird began to follow Severus into his office, his classroom and even his private lab. However, the phoenix always asked shyly if it was all right to follow him, and he used to occupy himself by quietly reading Potions books. Only when Severus talked to the bird, his familiar became very chatty, and his orange beak never stood still.

Whenever Severus' time allowed it, they sat together for a quiet time after dinner, during which they spoke about what Harry had read that day, and Severus realised soon that his familiar was not only very interested in Potions but also extremely intelligent. During the whole week until the beginning of the winter holidays, Severus and his phoenix familiar that attended his Potions class reading books on the top shelf were the main topic among the students.

風の力を持つハリー

At breakfast right before the students returned home for Christmas, Professor McGonagall turned to Severus in exasperation. "Severus, the whole school is talking about you and your wonderful familiar. Don't you think you should introduce him to us as well? Please bring him with you when you attend dinner tonight."

"Gaoithe is a very nice phoenix, even if he seems to be very young," the Headmaster threw in. "Severus, as usual during the holidays, I want you to at least attend dinner in the Great Hall, but you're very welcome to bring Gaoithe along. I'll bring Fawkes then. He seems to be quite fond of his new friend."

"Very well," Severus agreed and quickly excused himself to return to his quarters and spend a quiet day in his potions lab.

風の力を持つハリー

Harry made himself comfortable on one of the ingredients shelves and craned his neck to glance into the cauldron. #What are you going to brew, sir?# he asked curiously.

Severus let out a long sigh. "Lemon drops for Albus for Christmas," he explained. "I'd prefer to brew something else for him, even if it has to be sweets, but he always wants nothing but lemon drops."

Harry remained pensive for a moment, before he turned around and walked along the ingredients shelf, intensely glancing at the labels. Finally, he replied slowly, #I think I have an idea, sir.#

"Really?" Severus queried, looking at his familiar in disbelief, causing the phoenix to chuckle.

#Why don't you brew an assortment of several kinds of lemon drops? You could mix one other ingredient in each type, for example give them lemon and blueberry flavour or lemon and ginger or lemon and frog eggs or something.# Seeing that Severus' expression had become thoughtful, he elaborated, #I mean like Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. The Weasley twins told me about them the other day.#

"That's a fantastic idea, Gaoithe," Severus commended the phoenix. "I'm not sure about the frog eggs, but I can imagine using blueberries or ginger. We could even try chocolate or whiskey."

Chuckling, the phoenix chose a few ingredients and placed them onto the working table, causing Severus to raise an eyebrow. "Do I understand you correctly? You want to help me brewing by fetching the ingredients for me?"

Harry let out a happy trill, and together they busied themselves brewing a special assortment of '_Severus' and Gaoithe's every flavour lemon drops_'. Apart from several kinds of berries, ginger, chocolate and some kinds of liqueurs, they used pepperoni, liquorice, mint leaves and cinchona, which gave the drops a slightly bitter taste.

"Gaoithe, what would you like for Christmas?" Severus suddenly enquired as he slowly stirred the yellow liquid, causing Harry to throw him an anxious look.

'_Oh no; I can't tell him that I never received anything from Father Christmas because I'm not a good boy_,' he mused, terrified. '_He can't even know that I'm a boy at all. What am I going to do?_' #I don't need anything, sir. I am very happy to be here and to be able to brew together with you, sir,# he finally replied hesitantly. #I love reading your potions books. I don't need anything else.#

"Very well," the Potions Master said, smirking as he already had an idea.

Harry watched in amazement as the professor slowly poured the tenth type of the yellow liquid into the drops' form, chuckling as Severus said with a disgusted expression, "That should suffice."

Severus and his phoenix turned Potions apprentice spent the rest of the day brewing ginger nuts and numerous kinds of essence that could be used in tea for Severus' colleagues. "Thank you for your help with the ingredients," Severus said to his phoenix as he cleaned the workspace, causing Harry to let out a delighted trill. "Now I believe it's time to head to the Great Hall for dinner. Would you like to come with me and have dinner together with my colleagues? Albus promised to bring Fawkes along as well."

#Yes sir, all right,# Harry agreed happily and jumped from the ingredients shelf, landing right on the professor's left shoulder.

"Oh Gaoithe! Don't give me such a fright," Severus complained, smirking as he gently ruffled the phoenix's head feathers.

'_Feels good_,' Harry mused, gratefully nibbling the ear that was next to his beak, until the professor gently pried the beak away from his ear. #When are we going to give the presents to your colleagues?# he asked as they made their way towards the Great Hall.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the day after is Christmas Day," Severus explained softly. "Cicero will place the presents into my colleagues' rooms tomorrow night."

'_He is really nice to give his colleagues Christmas presents_,' Harry mused. '_Pity that the Dursleys hated me so much. Otherwise, they could have given me something for Christmas, when Father Christmas chose to ignore me_.' He was quickly pulled out of his sad thoughts when Severus opened the door to the Great Hall.

#Hi Gaoithe!# Fawkes greeted him happily, causing Harry to take off from Severus' shoulder and fly over to his friend's perch, making himself comfortable next to the fire phoenix.

Harry slowly let his eyes wander around the table, where about a dozen teachers and two small students were assembled. "Come here, Gaoithe, so that I can introduce you to my colleagues," Severus called him in his soft, silky voice that made Harry obey automatically.

He once more settled on his familiar's shoulder, looking friendly at the teachers Severus introduced to him. "This is Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor," Severus continued, causing Harry to throw the older witch a terrified look.

'_Oh no, that's the cat professor! She knows who I am,_' he realised, seeing that the woman was observing him with interest.

'_I just hope she won't tell Severus the truth_.' Unable to speak with anyone but the man he thought of as his familiar, Harry looked pleadingly at the Transfiguration professor.

Apparently sensing that he didn't want to be discovered, McGonagall said gently, "Nice to meet you, Gaoithe. Severus, you're having a wonderful familiar. You should deem yourself very happy."

Harry threw the female professor a grateful look, noticing that she returned a comforting smile, while Severus' cheeks turned just a little bit pink and he mumbled something that sounded like "feathered duster". As the professor continued to introduce his colleagues, he noticed that his phoenix had a very hurt expression on his face.

'Gaoithe, I'm sorry I said that. I can assure you that it was only because the situation was so embarrassing. I do not think of you as what I said. Please forgive me,' the professor's voice suddenly penetrated Harry's head, causing the phoenix to make a small jump in surprise.

#What was that? Mind thinking?# he queried in disbelief.

'Yes Gaoithe,' Severus silently communicated.

#All right, sir, and yes, I understand. It's all right,# Harry trilled gently.

Suddenly, small sparkling flames engulfed his body, and he realised that Fawkes had flashed away. #Sorry nestling,# the older phoenix excused himself, and Harry saw that he had landed on the Headmaster's arm and walked down to the man's hand, craning his neck until his beak reached the professor's plate. #This is delicious, Gaoithe,# he trilled as he happily munched a few peas.

'_Fawkes is very naughty_,' Harry mused, but the peas and carrots that were on his familiar's plate looked extremely appealing too. '_If I flash, it'll become a bit stormy here though, so I better fly_,' he considerate and carefully flapped his wings as not to startle the professors, before he flew to Severus' shoulder. '_This is definitely a comfortable spot_,' he mused, loving the small hideout between the professor's ear and the curtain of black hair. Seeing that Severus brought a fork full of carrots and peas to his mouth, the phoenix craned his neck, staring longingly at the vegetables.

"Do you want some?" Severus asked incredulously, causing Harry to let out an affirmative trill. The professor took the teaspoon that was meant to be for the dessert from the table, filled it with a small amount of vegetables and brought it to the phoenix's beak, causing Harry to carefully pick a piece of carrot, followed by a few peas.

#That was delicious, Severus. Thank you,# he trilled, causing the professor to lightly incline his head.

"Your phoenix definitely has better manners than Fawkes," the tiny professor, whom Severus had introduced as Professor Flitwick, commented, causing the other teachers to agree and Harry to hide in his familiar's hair, feeling very embarrassed by the attention.

During the rest of the meal, Harry remained quietly in his spot, thinking about how his life had changed since he had left his dark cupboard only two weeks ago.

"Gaoithe, would you like some of this fruits salad?" Severus' voice brought him out of his reverie, and he saw that the professor held out a spoon with a small piece of pear for him.

Harry happily took the piece and let out a delighted trill, causing the professor to share his complete dessert with the bird.

Later in the evening, Harry racked his brains over the question what he could give his familiar for Christmas and finally decided to ask Fawkes, knowing that the older phoenix always had an answer to his questions and often good ideas.

風の力を持つハリー

Fawkes did not disappoint Harry. #I'll help you, Gaoithe. Let's flash into the forest and pick up some berries, which he can use as potions ingredients,# the older phoenix trilled when Harry asked him in the morning. Fawkes called Tony and instructed him to bring them a box that was divided into several parts and was adequate to keep fruits in it, before the two birds flashed into the forest that was a paradise for all kinds of berries.

Harry was deeply engrossed in carefully picking berries from the bushes without accidentally harming them with his beak, and only when his box was full did he realise that all the berries Fawkes picked up wandered into the older phoenix's beak. #They're absolutely delicious,# Fawkes trilled. #Now that you're done with your errand, you should try some as well.#

風の力を持つハリー

In the meantime, Severus entered his living room, wondering why it was so quiet, until he suddenly realised Gaoithe's absence. '_I wonder where he went so early in the morning_,' he mused, feeling slightly disappointed to have to eat his breakfast without the bird. Not that he would have admitted the fact to anyone, not even to himself, but he was enjoying the time together with his intelligent and funny familiar. '_I can't believe that I've only known him for two weeks_,' he thought. '_I've become quite used to him, and I must say that he is an agreeable familiar_.'

After a tiny breakfast, Severus pushed his plate away and proceeded to sit in front of the fireplace, engrossing himself in reading the newest Potions Monthly that had only arrived the day before. However, he couldn't help his eyes wander to the table, where Gaoithe used to read his books, realising that the sound of his phoenix carefully turning the pages with his right foot was missing, making the room strangely quiet. '_I'm getting soft and sentimental_,' Severus thought in annoyance and decided to brew a potion. However, he noticed soon that even his potions lab missed a green feathered ball that was sitting on the ingredients shelf. '_Now, I really have to get a grip on myself. My phoenix has gone for a flight this morning, he'll be back soon, and there is no need for me to go nuts because of it_,' he scolded himself. However, when the phoenix still wasn't back at lunchtime, Severus stepped to the fireplace and called the Headmaster to enquire if he had seen his familiar.

"Oh Severus, why don't you join me for lunch?" the Headmaster said pleasantly. "Fawkes has been gone since the early morning as well, so they're probably together. Bad weeds grow tall; they'll be back before we know it."

"It's not as if I was worried; I was merely wondering where he went without informing me beforehand," Severus sneered and accepted the invitation for lunch.

When he returned to his quarters afterwards, Gaoithe and Fawkes were both sitting on Gaoithe's perch. Seeing the professor step out of the fireplace, Fawkes let out a trill and flashed away, causing Severus to throw Gaoithe a curious look.

#I'm sorry, Severus, we flashed into the forest to eat a few berries, but I ate too many and I felt a bit sick to my stomach. That's why it took us so long to come back,# Harry explained in a small, quiet trill, causing Severus to give him a sharp look.

"Are you feeling better now? If not I can give you a sip of a stomach calming potion," he offered and quickly summoned a phial, seeing that Gaoithe merely shrugged.

'_How could I be so stupid to eat so many unripe berries?_' Harry mused, recalling how sick he had felt in the forest. His stomach had emptied itself many times, before it finally settled down enough, so that Fawkes could flash them both back. As soon as they had arrived in his familiar's living room that was empty to his relief, Fawkes had called Tony and handed him the box with berries, instructing the small elf to give it to Severus for Christmas with a small note stating that it was from Gaoithe.

Harry carefully licked the lime green liquid from the spoon the professor held out to him, sighing in relief as he felt the potion kick in. #Thank you, Severus. That's much better,# he trilled gratefully, before he turned his head towards his back and relaxed. '_I wonder if he'll like the berries and if I'll get something for Christmas, although Father Christmas never gave me anything before. Maybe as a phoenix I'm better than I was as a boy_.'

風の力を持つハリー

On Christmas morning, Severus woke Harry up when it was still dark. "Gaoithe, I know that it's still early and dark outside, but we should head to the Great Hall for breakfast," he said softly, lightly pressing his hand against the phoenix's feet.

Yawning, Harry accepted the invitation and slowly made his way to his favourite spot on the professor's shoulder, allowing himself to be carried to the Great Hall, where Fawkes was already sitting on a perch next to the Head table.

Harry looked in amazement at the huge Christmas tree right next to their perch. It was decorated beautifully with little stars that were twinkling all around the tree. From its top, snowflakes were falling down that never reached the floor, and its bottom was surrounded by piles of presents. '_This is beautiful_,' Harry mused, unable to take his eyes off the tree.

He was still absentmindedly picking at his breakfast, which Cicero had provided for him in a small bowl, when Severus rose from his seat and fetched a present from under the Christmas tree that he brought over to the perch. "Just to show you what it is," he explained in his soft, baritone voice as he magically attached a piece of wood to the perch, smirking as he took in the two phoenixes' questioning looks. "It's a book holder, which will allow you to comfortably read a book on your perch if you want."

#Wow, that's absolutely cool,# Harry trilled happily, looking at the book holder in awe. #I love it. Thank you so much, Severus.#

"You're welcome, Gaoithe," Severus replied, and his colleagues noticed a rare smile play on his lips as he resumed his seat at the table.

Harry couldn't believe his luck as he received phoenix treats from the Headmaster and all the other teachers except for Professor McGonagall. The Gryffindor Head called him over when everyone else was engrossed in unwrapping their own presents. Harry hesitantly flew to the other side of the Head table and shyly landed on the back of her seat. "Come here, Gaoithe," McGonagall said gently, motioning him to sit on her shoulder like he always did on Severus'. When he obeyed, she whispered into his ear, "Originally, I wanted to give you a Transfiguration book; however, I figured that it would be strange for a phoenix to be interested in Transfiguration, so I decided on this book here. However, if you ever feel you wanted to learn about Transfiguration, just pay me a visit. I promise not to tell anyone."

Knowing that he couldn't talk to the cat professor, Harry merely gave her a nod and smiled, before he jumped on the table and carefully opened the colourful wrapping with the help of his beak and his right foot. A few minutes and some effort later, he pulled out a thick book, '_Hogwarts: A History'_.

"It's one of my favourite books," McGonagall said gently. "I hope you'll find it interesting."

#Thank you very much, Professor. I'm looking forward to reading it,# Harry replied happily, letting out a glad trill when Severus immediately relayed the message to the cat professor. '_So many presents_,' Harry mused happily, letting out a series of pleasant trills, unconsciously attracting everyone's attention.

"Your familiar seems to be very pleased with his presents," Professor Sprout said, smiling, and everyone laughed as Harry nodded, before he shyly nestled into Severus' long hair.

"Don't pull my hair, Gaoithe," Severus scolded him lightly. "Otherwise, I'm going to bind my hair so that you can't hide anymore."

#Yes sir, sorry sir,# Harry trilled back in a barely audible voice. '_I love his hair_,' he mused, '_because it smells of herbs_.'

Harry spent the rest of the day completely engrossed in his new book. Severus, who was sitting in his favourite armchair reading as well, couldn't help chuckling when Fawkes arrived for the third time to invite Gaoithe, '_probably to some kind of mischief_,' and Gaoithe shook his head just like the first and second time and declared, #Sorry Fawkes, but I'd love to read some more.#

Fawkes let out a series of trills, which Severus couldn't understand, but when he was finished and flashed away, he left Gaoithe chuckling in obvious amusement.

"What did he tell you?" Severus asked curiously.

#He said he'd come back tomorrow morning, because he wants me to prank Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. I haven't met her, but she seems to be very annoying. He said she angered the students remaining over the holidays when they came back from building a snowman today. Um... You don't mind me help Fawkes prank her, do you, sir?# Harry added hesitantly.

"No Gaoithe, I don't mind you help Fawkes play harmless pranks, but you may not harm anyone, and I do not wish to hear complaints about you," Severus replied in a stern voice. "Don't tell anyone I said so, but for once I have to agree with Fawkes. That cat is an annoyance."

#I promise not to harm anyone,# Harry replied firmly.

"I'm glad to hear that," Severus said, ending the topic, and suggested using the remaining time until Christmas dinner to utilise some of the fruits that he had received from Gaoithe to brew fruit chocolates, wondering if the prospect of brewing sweets would be able to pull Gaoithe away from his book.

Harry agreed immediately and happily followed the professor into his private lab. "I don't know if phoenixes eat such things," Severus explained as Harry fetched the requested ingredients from the shelf, "but dark chocolate with blackberries is delicious."

#I like chocolate frogs more,# Harry replied, shaking his head in disgust as the professor gave him a small piece of chocolate to try later on. He quickly flashed back to his perch to drink some water to get rid of the bitter taste.

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Fawkes came again to invite Gaoithe out, and the phoenix, who had been reading his new book, agreed immediately. He let out a few happy trills to Severus and followed Fawkes to the entrance hall. #What are you going to do?# he asked curiously, noticing that Fawkes was carrying a bucket with one of his feet.

Fawkes chuckled. #Let's flash outside and gather a bit of snow in the bucket,# he replied, grinning mischievously.

Together, the two phoenixes grabbed some snow, putting it in the bucket. '_That's going to take ages_,' Harry thought in annoyance, wondering if he could let Fawkes in on his secret. #Fawkes, can you promise me to not tell anyone if I tell you a secret?# he asked hesitantly.

#I promise, nestling,# Fawkes replied, throwing him an expecting look.

#I can... change into other animals,# Harry admitted hesitantly. #Shall I try to change into an elephant to help you fill the bucket?#

#That's a brilliant idea,# Fawkes commended the younger phoenix, causing Harry to concentrate on changing into an elephant.

At first, he struggled a bit to keep his suddenly large and heavy body on his four feet and to use his nose to collect the snow, but after a few tries he managed to fill the bucket with snow and ice in the blink of an eye. As soon as Fawkes let out an appreciative trill, Harry quickly changed back into his phoenix form.

#That was brilliant, Gaoithe. How can you manage to change into other animals?# Fawkes asked in amazement.

#I don't know.# The smaller phoenix shrugged helplessly. #I just realised that I can do it when I wanted to communicate with a snake and a cat before. I can't change straight from one animal into the other though. I always have to go back to my phoenix form first.# Glancing at the bucket in front of Fawkes, he asked, #What are we going to do with the bucket by the way? I had to promise my familiar that we don't harm anyone with our pranks.#

Fawkes chuckled. #You don't have to do anything. Just leave it to me. While you were busy, I caught a mouse to lure her in our direction. We'll have to search her first though. Oh... Can you perhaps change into an animal that's able to open the entrance door?#

Harry remained pensive for a moment, before he shook his head. #I'm sorry, Fawkes, but I have no idea. Can you flash inside with the full bucket?#

#No problem, nestling. Let's go. Maybe you can transform into a cat and watch the corridor. I'm going to hide in the alcove here. If you come and inform me when she's near enough, I can turn the bucket from within the alcove. She won't be able to see us inside here.#

Harry obediently changed into a cat and impatiently paced the entrance hall, waiting for the other cat to arrive. Finally, he saw the cat coming down the huge staircase and hurried back to Fawkes, noticing from the corner of his eyes that the other cat followed him. He had just transformed into his phoenix form, when Fawkes emptied the bucket over the cat, covering it completely in ice and snow. However, to his horror the cat immediately transformed into Professor McGonagall.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

'_Oh no, the cat professor_,' Harry realised, groaning inwardly. '_We'll be in so much trouble_.' He quickly changed into a fly and, noticing that he had difficulties keeping himself in the air, settled on Fawkes back feathers, right before Professor McGonagall looked into the alcove, throwing Fawkes an angry glare.

"You're into your usual mischief again, aren't you, Fawkes? Albus will hear of this," she said furiously, before she stepped back and pulling her wand to cast a drying spell and a cleaning spell at herself.

Harry watched the professor turn back into her cat form and dash away, before he let himself slide down to the floor and change back into his phoenix form. #Thank you for not giving me away, Fawkes,# he said gratefully. #I'd be in so much trouble with my familiar.#

#That's all right, nestling,# Fawkes trilled happily. #Albus won't mind me playing a prank on Minnie. I better go and tell him, before she arrives in his office though. I'll see you later, Gaoithe.# With that he flashed away.

'_That was a close thing_,' Harry mused. '_I wonder what Mrs. Norris looks like. Anyway, I have to be very careful, especially as the cat professor knows who I am and that I can change into various animals, and she is really nice; I wouldn't want to get her angry at me_.' Thinking of the interesting book the cat professor had given him for Christmas, Harry decided to flash back to continue reading his book.

"Hi Gaoithe, you're early," Severus greeted him, looking up from the desk in his office, where he was grading tests. "Did you have fun?"

#Yes, but I came back, because I want to continue reading my book,# Harry trilled softly as he made himself comfortable on his perch, causing Severus to throw him an appreciative look.

風の力を持つハリー

Harry's book was so interesting that he felt very grateful towards the kind cat professor. '_I'd really like to go and talk with her, but how can I manage to do that? I can't speak with her at dinner, because she doesn't understand me, and I can't give myself away by changing into a cat or worse yet a human. But I don't know where her office is, so that I can't simply just stop by to visit her_.' He pondered the thought for a few days, before he finally had an idea. '_I can either roam the castle in my cat form or ask Mrs. Norris. According to Fawkes, she knows everything in the castle_.'

#Would you mind if I went flying?# he asked Severus one morning as he was sitting on his perch, lazily stretching his feet and wings.

"Of course not," Severus replied in surprise. "In the afternoon, I'm planning to go to Hogsmeade, because I need to buy a few ingredients at the apothecary. Would you care to join me for the walk into town?"

#Yes, I'd love that,# Harry replied enthusiastically, recalling that Fawkes had told him Hogsmeade was very interesting. #Can you mind think to me even if I'm not with you? I mean, in case I lose track of time, could you alert me when you want to leave?#

"Yes, I'll be able to use telepathy to you wherever you are," Severus replied, smiling.

#That's good,# Harry replied, sighing in relief as he concentrated on flashing to the entrance hall. He changed into his cat form and hesitantly walked up the grand staircase, remembering that the cat professor had come down the same stairs the other day. '_It would be nice to explore the castle some more anyway_,' he mused as he absentmindedly climbed up the stairs and suddenly found himself trapped as one of the charmed steps gave away, causing him to stumble and get stuck with one of his back legs. '_Ouch, that hurt_,' he realised, finding that he couldn't get his leg out anymore. He was just about to panic, when he remembered that he could easily change into something else. '_I need to be smaller_,' he thought, once more transforming into a fly.

Harry had just made his way away from the trap step in his fly form, when he saw the cat professor dash down the stairs in her cat form. He quickly changed back into his cat form and called out after the professor, =Professor McGonagall, please wait a moment.=

However, the other cat turned around and upon noticing him growled, =What do you think you're doing here?=

Harry was too much in shock to reply immediately and his leg still hurt a bit. However, the other cat came back up the stairs and sat in front of him in a threatening position.

=I'm sorry for intruding your space,= Harry said timidly, trying hard not to panic. =I wanted to visit the cat professor, but I don't know where her office is. Who are you by the way?=

=I am Mrs. Norris,= the older cat replied, and Harry had the impression as if she was very stuck-up.

'_She looks a bit older than the cat professor, although she has the same grey fur_,' he thought. '_No, the cat professor is a tabby cat. Only the colour is similar_,' he corrected himself, '_and the cat professor has squares around her eyes like her spectacles, and this cat here hasn't. All right; I should be able to keep them apart the next time_.' =Excuse me, but could you perhaps show me where the professor lives? Then I promise I'll try to stay out of your way,= Harry said hesitantly, wondering why the older cat seemed to be so hateful.

=She is not a real cat,= Mrs. Norris growled, =but I'll show you, little one. You seem nicer than her.= With that, the older cat dashed away.

Harry did his best to follow her, until Mrs. Norris stopped in front of a portrait. =That's McGonagall's office,= she said in a slightly friendlier voice, causing Harry to thank her profusely. =You're welcome, little one,= she replied and hurried away.

Harry hesitantly looked up to the portrait, noticing that it consisted of a sternly looking man, who had a phoenix sitting on his shoulder. '_Maybe I'll be able to speak with him_,' he thought, quickly transfiguring back into his phoenix form in expectation.

#Good morning,# he trilled hesitantly. #Can you understand me?#

"Of course we can understand you. Do you think we're stupid?" the man growled, causing Harry to anxiously fluff his feathers.

#Don't be afraid, my boy,# the phoenix on the man's shoulder trilled. #Godric is just a bit moody lately. Who are you and what do you want?#

#I'm Gaoithe,# Harry replied, relaxing somewhat at the phoenix's friendly tone of voice. #I'd like to visit the cat professor.#

"Minnie, a cat that turned into a phoenix wants to speak with you," Godric shouted towards the other side of the door, and Harry heard the cat professor's voice order him to open.

The door opened, and Harry hesitantly flew into the office, landing on the back of a chair. "Hello Gaoithe, how nice of you to visit me," the cat professor greeted him gently, causing Harry to let out a few soft trills. "Unfortunately, I'm not able to understand you in your phoenix form. Could you please transform into your cat form or your human form?"

#Of course, sorry,# Harry trilled and remembered to jump down to the floor, before he changed back into his cat form, frowning as he noticed that his leg still hurt a bit. =Good morning, Professor. I'm sorry for intruding your office without invitation,= he said politely, causing the tabby cat to shake her head.

=No Harry, I'm very glad you came to visit me. Ever since I saw you here at Hogwarts the first time, I wanted to tell you to visit me, but it wasn't easy without giving you away.=

=Thank you so much for keeping my secret, Professor,= Harry said gratefully, =and for the wonderful book you gave me for Christmas. I absolutely love it.=

The other cat chuckled. =I'm glad you like the book, Harry. Let's sit in front of the fireplace; there it is warm and more comfortable.=

Harry hesitantly followed the other cat into her living room, realising that his leg still felt strange.

=What happened to your leg, Harry?= McGonagall enquired. =You're limping.=

Harry chuckled a bit. =It's nothing. I was stupid and got trapped in one of the strange steps on the huge staircase, that's all.=

=Oh, that happened to me once, and I know it hurts. Can you change into your human form, so that I can have a look at it? In your human form, it's probably only a scratch, which I can mend right away.=

Before Harry could even think about the matter, the fireplace just behind them flared and the Headmaster's head appeared in the flames. "Hello Minerva. Oh, you're having a visitor?"

Harry watched anxiously as the cat professor changed into her human form and explained, "Yes Albus, that's Nero, one of Arabella Figg's cats. He seems to be quite intelligent and Arabella asked me to teach him some things about the magical world."

"Oh, very well. I'm sorry for disturbing your feline conversations; I merely wanted to inform you that I'm off to the Ministry now," Dumbledore replied gently. "Bye Minerva, bye Nero."

Harry sighed in relief as the Headmaster's head vanished from the fireplace. '_Thank God I didn't change into my human form yet_,' he thought as he observed the cat professor wave her wand at the fireplace.

"Don't worry, Harry; I just shut the fireplace off, so that no one can disturb us while you're in your human form," she said soothingly, before she called out to the portrait, "Godric, I want to be undisturbed for a while."

=Okay,= Harry said softly and transformed back into his phoenix from and from there into his human form. '_Feels strange_,' he mused, noticing that his right knee hurt.

"Is this the first time you changed back since you came to Hogwarts?" McGonagall asked softly, taking in that Harry was still dressed in the rags that he had always worn at his relatives' home.

"Yes," Harry replied hesitantly.

"All right. Can you show me where it hurts?"

"My knee," Harry replied, carefully rolling his much too large trousers up.

"Oh, I believe that," McGonagall said softly and waved her wand at the scratches on Harry's knee, healing them quickly, before she transfigured Harry's clothes into dark blue trousers and a red jumper with a design of a black cat with emerald eyes.

"Wow," Harry said amazed as he observed the scratches vanish from his knee. "Can you do Healing magic like Professor Hufflepuff in the book?"

"No Harry," McGonagall chuckled. "Mending a few scratches is about the only Healing magic I know. Would you like some tea, or do you prefer to be in your cat form?"

"I don't mind," Harry said slowly. '_She is as nice as she is as a cat, so I really don't mind_,' he thought to his own surprise.

The professor motioned him to sit at a small, round table and tapped her wand against the wood twice, causing two cups of tea and a plate with biscuits to appear. "Please help yourself, Harry," McGonagall said softly, taking one of her favourite ginger biscuits.

'_Hmm, that looks delicious_,' Harry thought and hesitantly helped himself to a small chocolate wafer.

"Now Harry, you should know by now that I'm going to keep your secret. However, I'll always be here if you need help," McGonagall spoke up in a soft voice. "Would you mind telling me how you ended up as Professor Snape's familiar?"

Seeing that the cat professor was throwing him a curious, but in a friendly way, interested look, Harry hesitantly explained about the picture that he had drawn at school and how everyone had reacted to it. "Then I remembered that you had told me I wasn't a freak but a wizard, and I just wished myself to be with someone who was a wizard and would be able to understand and perhaps even like me," Harry tried to recall what he had been thinking that night.

"Oh, I understand, sweetie," McGonagall said gently. "Harry, that was a very wise decision and very strong magic you used to come here to Hogwarts."

A small smile stole itself onto Harry's face, and he continued, "It always becomes a bit stormy when I flash, but at that time it was very bad, and somehow I crashed against the entrance doors just when Professor Snape was opening them to see why there was such a storm, and then he took me in, because I was hurt and had hit my head on the door. Then Fawkes told me to bond with him."

"I see. Do I understand it correctly that no one except for myself knows who you are, Harry?"

Before Harry could reply, they heard the portrait open, and an angry voice penetrated Harry's ears. "How dare you shut the fireplace off, Minnie?"

Shocked, Harry immediately thought of transforming back into his phoenix form; however, McGonagall calmingly laid her hand on his arm and said, "It's all right, sweetie. That's only Madam Pomfrey. She is my best friend, and she'll definitely keep your secret." She tapped her wand against the table once more, and another cup of tea and more biscuits popped up.

Harry saw a woman in white robes, whom he had seen at dinner in the Great Hall before, come over to the table. "Oh, you have a visitor," she said gently, giving Harry a curious look, before she let out a small gasp and asked incredulously, "Harry? Harry Potter?"

"Yes Madam," Harry said in a small voice, anxiously averting his eyes to the floor.

"Oh, I guess there is some kind of secret involved," Pomfrey guessed, chuckling. "That's why you shut the fireplace off. I had to put up a small fight with Godric, but my Healer's password gets me through any door; so he had to give up."

McGonagall sighed. "Poppy, I know you'll keep this to yourself. Harry is Gaoithe, Severus' phoenix. He is a natural multiple Animagus. Harry came to visit me in his cat form this morning and only turned human to have tea with me." She quietly told her friend how she had spoken with Harry in the Dursleys' garden and had told him about the magical world and Hogwarts and how Harry had ended up in the castle.

Madam Pomfrey turned to Harry, who hadn't yet dared to look up. "Harry, don't worry. I am used to keeping secrets, and I'll keep yours as well. Professor McGonagall was very concerned about you all these years, and she has often told me how your relatives treated you. I am really glad that you could escape and come to Hogwarts. Professor Snape is a very good person, and he was your mother's best friend."

Harry slowly moved his head up and shyly looked at the kind witch. "Thank you, Madam," he said gratefully. "I really appreciate being here. It's always warm, I'm allowed to eat whenever I'm hungry, I received Christmas presents for the first time in my life, I have a friend for the first time, and Professor McGonagall mended my knee earlier. No one ever did such a thing for me before. I am very happy here."

"I'm glad to hear that, sweetie, and if you ever have problems, you can come to me at any time," Madam Pomfrey said softly, before she turned to McGonagall and asked in a much sterner voice, "How dare you miss your check-up, Minnie?"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I'm sorry, Poppy, but it completely slipped my mind. I'll come to see you after my conversation with Harry."

"Very well," her friend growled and sipped her tea.

"Harry, you said you had a friend at Hogwarts. Might that be Fawkes?" McGonagall queried, her voice slightly laced with suspicion and disapproval.

"Yes Madam," Harry replied softly, "he's a good friend, and he is always very funny. I really like him."

McGonagall sighed. "Well, the Headmaster apparently approves of your friendship. He told me he was going to offer you a self-refilling box of phoenix treats if you manage to teach Fawkes how to read."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise, chuckling at the thought. "I don't think Fawkes is interested though. I offered to teach him the letters before, but he said he didn't want to learn how to read."

"I'm afraid that Fawkes is not interested in anything but causing some sort of mischief," McGonagall said, shaking her head in annoyance. "The other day, he threw a whole bucket of ice and snow over me when I was roaming the corridor in the first floor in my Animagus form."

'_Oops_,' Harry thought, and before he realised what he was doing, he explained, "I don't think Fawkes wanted to hit you with the snow, Professor. I think he wanted to play a prank on Mrs. Norris, because she had somehow angered some students."

"Did Fawkes tell you that?" McGonagall asked incredulously. "He should know my Animagus form by now."

'_Oh no, should I tell her the truth?_' Harry wondered, thinking feverishly of a reply.

"Oh Minnie, leave Harry in peace," Madam Pomfrey quickly came to his help. "It's not his fault if Fawkes likes to play pranks."

'Gaoithe, where are you? I'd like to leave for Hogsmeade in a few minutes,' Severus' voice suddenly penetrated Harry's mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I have to go back to Severus' quarters. He just thought to me that he wanted to leave for Hogsmeade, and he offered to take me with him," Harry quickly explained to the adults.

"That's fine, Harry. Don't worry. Thank you for your visit; I really appreciate it. Come back and visit me whenever you can," McGonagall replied in a soft voice, smiling at Harry's clear excitement. "You should be able to flash straight into this room or into my office."

"Thank you Madam. I'll try the next time," Harry replied gratefully and hurriedly stood up from his seat. He changed back into his phoenix form and flashed home.

風の力を持つハリー

When he arrived on his perch, he saw that the professor was already wearing his warm robes and was waiting for him.

#I'm sorry for being late, sir,# Harry trilled to the man, who shook his head.

"No problem, Gaoithe; you're not late at all. Do you want to sit on my shoulder, or do you prefer to fly?"

#I can try to flash both of us to Hogsmeade, sir. Fawkes told me that he can flash up to four people, so I should be able to flash you,# Harry trilled hesitantly, throwing the man a questioning look.

"I don't mind either way. However, it might be good to try it out; it could come handy in case I need to go to Hogsmeade or somewhere urgently," Severus replied thoughtfully.

#All right then, please grab my tail feathers,# Harry instructed the professor and concentrated on flashing to Hogsmeade.

Instants later, they found themselves on the main street in Hogsmeade, and Harry looked around with interest, until the professor's voice pulled him out of his reverie. "You did that very well Gaoithe; now, are you going to travel on my shoulder?" he asked softly.

#Yes sir,# Harry trilled and did a huge jump, failing miserably to land on the tall man's shoulder.

"That was not high enough," Severus chuckled, quickly extending his arm for his familiar to step on.

#You're too high,# Harry giggled as he resumed his favourite place on the Potions Master's shoulder.

"Please remain on my shoulder while we're in the apothecary," Severus instructed the phoenix. "The shop is full of dangerous potions and ingredients, and you could hurt yourself badly. Do you understand me?"

#Yes sir,# Harry trilled back obediently, snuggling deep into the curtain of silky black hair.

As much as he loved watching the professor brew, being at the apothecary was extraordinarily boring, and Harry soon began to clean his feathers, finally ending up with his head turned into his back feathers, drifting off to sleep. He nearly fell off the man's shoulder startled when Severus suddenly turned around and strode out of the shop.

"Let's pay the bookshop a visit," Severus suggested, causing Harry to agree immediately. "Please once more remain on my shoulder. You may not jump onto the bookshelves or open books with your beak and your foot as you do it at home. If you see a book that interests you, you can tell me. Is that clear?"

#Yes sir,# Harry replied softly, looking at the shelves they passed with interest.

Severus finally stopped walking in front of a shelf with children's books. "Would you like to read a children's book, or do you prefer something the students at Hogwarts would have to read? I don't think we need any more Potions books though," he said dryly, causing Harry to chuckle.

'_I'd love to read something about Transfiguration or Charms_,' he mused, '_but how can I explain that to my familiar?_' #Perhaps I could read something about magical herbs, so I would know how and where to search for something in case you need an ingredient,# he suggested thoughtfully.

"That's a good idea, Gaoithe, but you'll find many books about Potions ingredients at home," Severus replied, turning his head in surprise when the phoenix suddenly left his favourite place to walk down his arm until his beak nearly touched the shelf in front of them.

#Animagi through the Ages,# Harry read with interest. #That sounds very intriguing.#

"Why would an animal want to read about Animagi?" Severus asked in disbelief. "Do you know what Animagi are at all?"

#Yes sir, Fawkes told me about it. I know that Professor McGonagall is a cat Animagus,# Harry replied carefully. #But well, you're right; there should be more interesting books,# he corrected himself in a light tone, not wanting to risk giving himself away.

Finally, they settled on a book about magical animals and walked back to Hogwarts, Harry contentedly sitting on the Potions Master's shoulder with his new book in his beak. '_This seems very interesting, and perhaps I can even learn something about phoenixes that I didn't know yet_,' he mused as he made himself comfortable on his perch.

"Gaoithe, would you like to assist me in the lab for a while?" Severus' voice interrupted his thoughts. "The students are going to come back tomorrow, and I still need to brew a few portions for the hospital wing."

#Yes of course,# Harry trilled happily and flashed into the lab to lay out the ingredients for his familiar. '_I'm glad the students are going to come back; they're a lot fun, especially the funny twins. It's only a pity that I can't communicate with them. Fawkes did well to bond with Tony; but should I bond with an elf too? Well, it probably won't hurt to bond with an elf; I'll ask Fawkes tomorrow_,' he decided and concentrated on assisting the professor.

風の力を持つハリー

As expected, Fawkes didn't only have advice to which elf Harry should bond with, he was also full of ideas for new pranks when the students returned to the castle.

#Gaoithe, Tony has a best friend, Nina. She is his age and they're inseparable. You should bond with her; I'm sure we'd be able to have a lot of fun together with the two elves,# Fawkes suggested when Harry asked him.

#That sounds good, Fawkes. What do I have to do in order to bond with him?# Harry asked uncertainly.

#Him? Nina's a girl, Gaoithe. You just bond with her like you bonded with your human familiar,# Fawkes replied in a slightly impatient tone. #Sometimes, you behave as if you were one of those stupid owls and not a phoenix. Remember, we're the kings of the magical animals. You need to be a bit more self-confident. Now, shall I call Tony and ask him to bring Nina along?#

'_I don't think you behave like a king of the animals, playing pranks and getting yourself being caught all the time_,' Harry mused but realised that it would be wise to keep his thoughts to himself. #Yes please,# he replied, uncertainly fluffing his feathers.

Ten minutes later, Harry was bonded to Nina, who was the same age as himself, and Harry found her very cute. Nina smiled happily as Harry sat on her shoulder and carefully nibbled her large ear. "That tickles," she giggled, gently stroking the bird's head feathers.

"Fawkes, I know that smug expression on your face," Tony suddenly spoke up. "Don't tell me you're already planning mischief again. The students have only been back for a few hours."

Fawkes let out a series of happy trills. #Oh, I have a superb idea for a prank to play on the students at the next Quidditch match. Does any of you know when it'll be and who's going to play?#

#The first match in January should be Slytherin versus Ravenclaw,# Harry remembered from what he had read in _Hogwarts: A History_. #What are you going to do this time?# he queried, groaning inwardly at the prospect of being pulled into another prank.

Fawkes smirked. #Are you able to transfigure objects into other things?# he asked Tony, sighing as the small elf unsurely shook his head. #Very well then, you'll have to help us talk to the twins again.#

"No problem, Fawkes," Tony replied eagerly, before he translated to Nina what Fawkes had said.

#Are you sure the twins want to play another prank?# Harry asked incredulously. #If they're caught, they'll get into a lot of trouble with the cat professor. For you it's much easier, because the Headmaster doesn't scold you for playing pranks.#

Fawkes chuckled. #No, he'd rather give an award for a good prank. But believe me, nestling, I know the way they are. Students like the twins love playing pranks, especially ones against the other Houses, you'll see, and we're all going to have so much fun.#

風の力を持つハリー

As instructed by Fawkes, Tony explained the phoenix's idea to the Weasley twins on the following day. Both of them were delighted at the thought of playing a prank on the whole school.

"The only problem is..."

"... that we don't know how to do that," they replied, exchanging questioning looks.

#I can help you search the library if you want,# Harry offered hesitantly, and when Nina translated, the twins eagerly nodded.

"Yes please, Gaoithe."

"The library is huge, and we have no idea where to search."

During the following two weeks, Harry met with the twins in the library every day after their last afternoon class, to help them skim the books for the spell they would need. Finally, it was Fred, who found the needed spell. "Here, we can use this one," he said excitedly.

"Yeah, but where do we get..."

#You can ask the house-elves,# Harry threw in, before he remembered sadly that the twins couldn't understand him. Seeing that the twins were throwing him curious looks, he feverishly searched his mind for an idea, other than calling Nina, who had surely better things to do than to translate for him. Suddenly, an idea struck his mind. Harry let go of the book and walked over the table to where Fred had left his school bag. He caned his neck, and his beak wandered inside the bag, producing a quill and a small piece of parchment that was lying around. He took the quill into his right foot and began to write in barely legible letters, '_elves'_.

"He can write," Fred said to George. "I can't believe it."

"But he's right of course," George replied dryly. "The house-elves will be able to help us."

Harry chuckled, resolving to let the twins in on his secret one day. '_I really like them, and it would be so nice if they were my friends even when I was in my human form_,' he thought, pondering if he could ask the cat professor if she thought he could open up to the boys. '_She must know them well, because they're in her House_.'

風の力を持つハリー

The day of the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin was a very cold, but sunny day, and the grounds were still covered with snow. As reluctant as Harry had been when Fawkes had informed them about his prank, he couldn't help feeling extremely excited in anticipation of the fun they were going to have as he settled down on Severus' shoulder.

Even Severus seemed to sense how excited his familiar was and threw him a questioning look, before he asked telepathically, "Is everything all right, Gaoithe?"

#Yes. I'm just excited, because I've never seen something like this before,# Harry replied and continued to clean his feathers, absentmindedly pulling a streak of black hair through his beak.

Twenty minutes into the game, the unexpected happened. The Slytherin Beater beat the Bludger, letting out a small shout, and the whole school observed in shock as the ball exploded. A red liquid spread all over the boy and his fellow players who had been nearby.

While Madam Hooch blew her whistle, some of the students apparently began to panic and the teachers hurried onto the grounds, Dumbledore announced in a huge voice, "Don't panic, students. Please remain seated."

At the same time, the players, who were covered in the red liquid, realised that it tasted really good and began to share the remainder of the watermelon that was shattered over the snowy ground with the rest of their team and the Ravenclaws. The whole school looked incredulously at the scene. Realising that the incident had obviously been a harmless prank, Madam Hooch pointed her wand at the remaining watermelon, turning it back into the Bludger, before she blew her whistle once more, causing the players to hurriedly mount their brooms again.

After the short interruption, the following two hours remained uneventful, until the Slytherin Seeker managed to catch the Snitch that turned into a mushy peach as soon as the Seeker closed his hand around it.

"Slytherin wins!" Madam Hooch announced and transfigured the peach back into the Snitch.

"Stupid Gryffindor pranks," Severus mumbled as he returned to the dungeons with a chuckling phoenix on his shoulder, unaware of the fact that his familiar was going to find out more about Gryffindors and their pranking nature in the near future.

風の力を持つハリー

One day, very early on a Sunday morning, Harry was roaming the grounds in his phoenix form when he saw the Weasley twins sitting near the lake, completely engrossed in something that looked like a blank parchment.

'_I bet they're planning mischief_,' Harry mused as he observed them for a few minutes. He chuckled when a thought crossed his mind. Concentrating on a low branch of the tree right next to the twins, he flashed, causing the two boys to look up in confusion as the small whirl wind reached them.

"Hi Gaoithe, be careful," Fred said, feverishly holding on to the parchment.

"Yeah, you nearly caused us to lose our treasure to the Giant Squid," George agreed, glaring at the phoenix.

#I'm sorry,# Harry trilled in a small voice, shyly averting his eyes to the lake.

"Well, remember that we can't understand you Gaoithe," George replied, before he turned to his brother. "Why don't we ask Gaoithe about the parchment. Maybe he knows more about passwords than us."

His brother agreed and explained how they had nicked the parchment out of Mr. Filch's office. "It's completely empty, but it's speaking to us. It told us it deemed us worthy as successors of the Marauders, whatever that is, but that we had to find out the password. Do you by chance have any knowledge about passwords?"

Harry shook his head, looking curiously at the parchment. It looked as if it was several years old and had been frequently used. '_Maybe Fawkes knows something_,' he thought.

"We found it in Filch's office, in a drawer with the sign '_Extremely dangerous objects_' and it was right on top," George threw in, pulling Harry out of his musings as he held the parchment right in front of the phoenix.

"Reveal yourself. We can sense one of our own blood of our midst. You must be the rightful owner of our brilliant work," the parchment suddenly began to speak, causing Harry to look at it in shock.

"What?" the twins blurted out simultaneously, staring at the phoenix with interest and disbelief.

"Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail demand that you reveal your true form," the parchment repeated in a firm voice, causing Harry to squirm.

'_What am I going to do?_' he pondered, trying not to panic. '_I can't transform here on the grounds, where the whole school would be able to see me_.'

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the twins confer and finally pull their wands.

While Fred transfigured a leaf from the tree into a quill, George took another leaf and transfigured it into a small parchment. The twins held both objects out to Harry.

Harry sighed and flapped his wings, causing the twins to step back to give him space. Letting out a grateful trill, he flew down to the ground, where he accepted the quill and began to write unsteady letters on the parchment.

'COME'

Harry handed Fred the quill back and took into the air to fly towards the entrance doors, where he waited for the twins to open them, before he lead them through a few small corridors to a rarely used side corridor. Taking a few steps backward to have some space, he transformed into a parrot.

"A parrot!" the twins blurted out simultaneously, staring at him in disbelief.

"Can you understand me?" Harry queried.

"Yes. Now is that your real form?"

"No, but before I show you my real form, you have to promise that you won't tell anyone about it," Harry replied firmly, causing the twins to laugh with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"I am human, but I'm a natural multiple Animagus; that's at least what the cat professor told me."

"The cat professor?" Fred blurted out, laughing.

"How fitting," George chuckled. "So she knows about your true self. Who else knows?"

"Professor Snape?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "Only the cat professor and her friend, Madam Pomfrey. Now, do you promise?"

"We promise," the twins replied eagerly. "Do you need a wizard's oath, or is a word from prankster to prankster enough?"

Harry chuckled and transformed into his human form. "Hi," he said, suddenly feeling very shy in front of the twins, who were a whole head taller than him, "I'm Harry."

The parchment, which Fred was firmly holding in his hands, suddenly came to life. "I sense the heir of the Marauders," it announced in apparent eagerness.

"I'm sorry, but what are the Marauders?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail are the Marauders, and you're obviously Prongslet," the parchment replied in an even voice, before it proceeded to tell him the activating and deactivating passwords.

"Let's try it out," the twins said impatiently, causing Harry to chuckle.

"Well, I'm going to change back. Don't forget to keep my secret please."

"We'll do," the twins replied simultaneously, before Fred motioned George to cast the password.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," George told the parchment that all of a sudden began to display hundreds of thin black lines.

"It's a map of Hogwarts," the twins breathed. "It's yours actually, Harry. Would you mind us keeping it for a while?"

A small smile flashed over Harry's face. "I can't use it at the moment anyway. You may keep it, but it would be nice if you could give it to me when I'm going to become a student next year."

"Will do," the twins promised, before they let out a huge gasp, causing Harry to instantly change back into his phoenix form.

"Oh sorry, Gaoithe; we didn't intend to frighten you," George said softly. "We just saw that Dumbledore is pacing his office. This thing here seems to not only be a map of Hogwarts, but it apparently displays where everyone in the castle is at the present time."

"Look here!" Fred shouted in excitement. "We're here, Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Harry... P... Potter?" he asked incredulously.

"Oops, sorry we didn't realise who you are," George said, chuckling. "We really have to take care of this map in order not to give you away."

"By the way, Gaoithe," Fred threw in. "Our little sister has a huge crush on you, even if she has never met you. Oh well, can you lead us back to some more known passages please? You can't leave two handsome first-years like us lost in some lonely passage now, can you?"

Harry chuckled and slowly made his way back to the entrance hall, where he let out a happy trill and flashed back home.

Fortunately, the twins kept his secret, and Harry somehow felt glad to have two new allies who knew about his true identity. '_I just hope I'll be able to hide it from Severus at least until I'm old enough to begin Hogwarts_,' he often thought. '_Maybe the cat professor would help me, so that I didn't have to return to the Dursleys', but I like living with Severus, and I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else._


	4. Chapter 4

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

On a dark and stormy day in April however, Gaoithe caused an accident that nearly caused him to be thrown out at least of the professor's private lab forever.

Severus was busying himself with the Esnopia potion, which was a fairly dangerous potion that he had invented a few years ago. If properly ingested, the potion worked against several kinds of pox like the dragon pox, the basilisk pox or the Grindylow pox; however, if applied straight to the skin, it had the opposite effect and could be life threatening to the person affected.

As usual, Harry read the recipe and collected all the necessary ingredients from the shelf and placed them on the work table for Severus. Afterwards, he settled on the shelf and observed Severus brew, craning his neck, so that he could look into the cauldron. He noticed in surprise that Severus decided to wear safety gloves just to be sure that no drop of the potion hit his hands.

An hour into the brewing process, the potion suddenly changed from light orange into dark green. Unaware of the contented expression on Severus' face, Harry jumped out of his skin, startled, and stepped forward in panic to get a better look at the bubbling liquid, completely forgetting about the fact that he was sitting on a shelf.

From that instant onwards, everything happened very fast. Severus looked up startled when Gaoithe, who had been patiently watching him brewing, suddenly fell from the shelf. Of course, the bird didn't hit the floor, because his phoenix instincts kicked in right in time and he managed to flash away and reappear on the shelf. However, during the few seconds Severus was distracted and glanced over to his familiar's activities in shock, he neglected to stir his potion, which didn't take the neglect well and exploded all over the Potions Master. Unfortunately, this happened so fast that Severus didn't realise what was happening until it was too late to hide under the table.

Harry watched in shock how the professor was hit by the potion. '_Oh no! Now he'll become very sick just because of me_,' he thought horrified as he glanced at the prone form on the floor. He quickly flashed down to the floor to get a good look at the professor and ask him if he should call help.

#Severus, are you all right?# he asked, beginning to panic when the professor didn't reply but remained unconscious. '_Is he dead?_' he wondered, terrified. Noticing that the man's robes looked as if they were burning, but not with fire but with dark green bubbles, Harry forgot about all his precautions and instinctively transformed into his human form. He hurriedly pulled the robes off the professor's limbs, only to look at the man's skin in shock. '_He is completely covered in pox; at least his arms_,' he noticed, terrified, feverishly thinking what he should do now.

'_Phoenix tears_,' Harry suddenly remembered. '_The Healing magic of phoenix tears might be able to heal the pox. But how can I manage to cry at once?_' He quickly changed back into Gaoithe and leaned over the professor's arm. To his surprise, the tears came instinctively, and Harry carefully made one drop fall on each pox, noticing in relief that the pox vanished completely from the professor's skin. It took him quite a while and he was exhausted when he finished with the man's arms. '_He might have more pox under his clothes_,' he thought, '_but I don't dare undress him. I'm going to call Madam Pomfrey. She'll be able to handle this_.'

Feeling very contented with his decision but still horrified, because Severus was still unconscious and that because he had disturbed his familiar while he was brewing something so dangerous, Harry flashed straight into Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Gaoithe, do you have new potions for me?" the Healer asked gently, looking up from her paperwork.

Harry shook his head and carefully glanced around, causing the Mediwitch to understand. "Oh no, not here," she said quickly. "Come with me."

The phoenix jumped onto her outstretched arm and allowed himself being carried into Poppy's private quarters. "Now you may change back," the Healer said softly.

Harry let out a happy trill and flew down to the floor, where he quickly transformed into Harry. "Madam Pomfrey, I need your help," he blurted out quickly. "Severus is unconscious, maybe even dead. I don't know, but it's my fault. I healed the pox on his arms, but there are probably more under his clothes..."

"Calm down, sweetie. Nothing is your fault," Poppy said soothingly. "Where is Severus?"

"In his lab. I can flash you, if you grab my tail feathers," Harry replied urgently and changed back into Gaoithe. Instants later, he reappeared in the potions lab with the Healer in tow.

Pomfrey quickly stripped Severus down to his underwear and turned to Harry. "I'm sure healing him with phoenix tears must afford quite an amount of magic. Are you still feeling well enough to continue with the rest of his body?"

Harry nodded eagerly and proceeded to cry on the professor's stomach, faintly noticing that the kind witch continued talking to him and reassured him that Severus would be fine. By the time he had made all the pox vanish with his tears, he felt absolutely exhausted and was glad that the Mediwitch woke the professor and explained everything to him. Fortunately, Severus was in too much a daze to question why Pomfrey knew exactly what had happened.

Harry sighed in relief when the professor was in his bed with the order to stay there until the following morning, the Healer had seen herself out, and he was back on his perch and able to sleep. He was just about to drift off, when an unsettling idea stuck his mind. '_I still have to apologize to Severus_,' he suddenly remembered. '_Will he be very angry? Will he allow me into his lab ever again? What if he throws me out completely, because of putting him into so much danger?_' Harry suddenly realised that he couldn't sleep without speaking to his familiar beforehand. '_Will he mind if I flash into his bedroom_?' he wondered, but deciding that things probably couldn't get any worse, he flashed into Severus' bedroom.

To Harry's surprise, Severus was still awake and was reading a book. "Gaoithe," he greeted him astonished.

#I'm sorry for intruding in your bedroom, Severus. I only wanted to apologize for putting you in so much danger,# Harry trilled quietly.

"It was not your fault," Severus replied astonished.

#It was. I was so shocked when your potion suddenly changed from orange to green that I fell from the shelf and managed to distract you.#

Severus threw the bird a surprised look. "Madam Pomfrey said you stumbled and fell off the shelf, but well, she couldn't have known exactly since you can't communicate with her."

"Yes sir; it was my fault, and...# He hesitated for a moment, before he continued, #I can understand if you won't allow me into the lab again; although I love to assist you very much.#

Severus let out a long sigh. "It's still my own fault. I shouldn't have allowed myself to become distracted. On the contrary, I have to thank you for saving me from a dangerous illness. Madam Pomfrey told me that you healed me with your phoenix tears. Thank you, Gaoithe."

#No problem, sir,# Harry replied softly. #Good night, sir.#

"Good night, Gaoithe," Severus replied softly.

Harry flashed back to his perch, feeling much better. '_Thank Merlin I went to apologize. I'm so glad that he isn't angry at me_.' With this happy thought he drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

風の力を持つハリー

The remaining weeks of the school year passed relatively uneventfully, although it was far from being boring for Harry. Fawkes with his infinite ideas of playing pranks on everyone involved Harry in his mischief every now and then, and even if they were not just planning something naughty, the two phoenixes spent much time together flying over the grounds or through Hogsmeade.

One day, Harry and Fawkes were sitting on a tree near the lake, watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice, when Harry suddenly blurted out, #Is he stupid or what? The one over there is supposed to catch the Snitch, isn't he?#

Fawkes chuckled. #Yes, that's the one, but he's looking for it. It's not so easy to catch the wingy one that's on the run.#

Harry groaned in annoyance. #There, right next to the teachers' stands. Shall I go and catch it for him?#

Fawkes chuckled again. #You can try, nestling. Have fun; I'll be watching.#

Harry threw Fawkes an uncertain glance. '_Will I be able to catch it? I don't even know if I can hold in my foot. It might be a bit too large_.' He unsurely voiced his thoughts to Fawkes, who let out a snort.

#Are you a chicken or a phoenix, nestling? Of course your feet are big enough to grab that annoying little thing. Now go on; I want to have some fun.#

#Well, for you it might be funny, but I'll get into trouble.#

#You won't, nestling. Look at the dark clouds. The thunderstorm is going to begin in a few minutes at the latest. They'll be glad and grateful to have the Snitch back in time,# Fawkes replied, looking upwards.

Harry followed his gaze, realising that Fawkes was right, '_as usual_,' he thought in annoyance and flashed over to where he had seen the Snitch. He grabbed it with his right foot that was indeed large enough and flashed again, reappearing right where the Seeker was flying. With a happy trill he handed him the Snitch and flashed away.

Only instants later, the first thunder could be heard and the captain of the Quidditch team called the team together. "Thank God you caught the Snitch right in time," he commended the Seeker, who had been flying above his teammates, so that none of them had seen the phoenix intervene in their practice. "Let's hurry inside. The thunderstorm is going to begin any minute now."

Fawkes and Harry observed the Quidditch team retreat inside the castle. '_It must be so much fun to play Quidditch_,' Harry mused. '_Maybe I'll be able to play in a house team when I'm going to become a student here. That would be so cool_.'

#Gaoithe, is your familiar at home right now?# Fawkes asked just when the first rain drops began to fall.

#No, the twins' older brother Percy has detention with him for failing his potion and blowing up a cauldron,# Harry replied, smirking. '_Serves him right; the twins always say that he's a git._' #Shall we flash back?#

#Yeah, let's do that. Serves him right; he is very stuck-up. I don't like him.#

Back on Gaoithe's perch, Fawkes trilled, #By the way, nestling, when are you going to tell them the truth?#

#The truth?# Harry asked, nearly falling from his perch in shock.

#How stupid do you think I am, nestling? I've been alive millions of eggturns, and I know that you're not a phoenix by hatch. I can sense several animals and even a human in you.#

Harry sighed and hesitantly told Fawkes the whole story of how he ended up at Hogwarts, before he begged him to not give him away.

Fawkes rolled his eyes. #If I wanted to give you away, I'd have done so back in the old grumpy one's office. Why would I? It's good to have a nestling nearby, especially considering the cats here in the castle. Oh, sorry Gaoithe, the old grumpy one is calling me. Bye.#

Harry remained on his perch like in a trance. '_Fawkes is full of surprises_,' he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

風の力を持つハリー

Even during the school time, Fawkes and Harry had made it a habit to attend at least dinner, sometimes even other meals, in the Great Hall together with the teachers, and the students had much fun with this arrangement since it gave them the opportunity of watching the snarky Head of Slytherin feed his familiar with a spoon every now and then.

On a Friday evening shortly before the beginning of the summer holidays, the Weasley twins hesitantly approached Harry just when dinner was over. "Gaoithe, can you meet us here tomorrow morning after breakfast?" they asked, causing a mischievous smile to appear on the phoenix's face.

Harry nodded eagerly and let out a series of happy trills. #I'll be here, and I'm looking forward to it.#

"Can they understand you?" the cat professor asked in surprise after the two first years had returned to the Gryffindor table.

Harry shook his head. #No, only Severus can understand me.#

"No Minerva; since he is bonded with me, I'm the only one who can understand his babbling," Severus replied, smirking as Harry feigned a pout, which he expressed well enough in a trill for everyone to sense.

"Oh, I think someone needs a few extra phoenix treats," McGonagall chuckled, causing Harry to fly around the table and land on her shoulder. "Hello sweetie. Well, I meant Severus had to give you a treat, but if you're here," she quickly pulled her wand pointing it at her spoon that was seconds later replaced by a piece of chocolate in form of a cauldron. "Here Gaoithe; if I remember correctly you like chocolate."

Harry nodded eagerly, carefully taking the chocolate cauldron into his beak.

"Be careful, 'Cat Professor,' which is what Gaoithe calls you, or I will make him eat chocolate in form of cats," Severus threatened, observing his familiar munch his cauldron with gusto.

風の力を持つハリー

After breakfast on Saturday morning, Harry flew over to the Gryffindor table and landed on Fred's shoulder. "Can you flash us to the third floor, so that no one will be able to follow us?" Fred whispered into his ear, causing Harry to agree immediately.

The phoenix jumped down onto the back of Fred's chair and flashed away as soon as the twins had grabbed his back feathers.

#Do you have the map?# Harry queried, curiously glancing around.

Apparently knowing out of the situation what Harry wanted, George pulled the parchment out of his robe pocket and activated the map. "It's all right, Gaoithe. No one is around," he announced.

After a glance on the map just to be sure, Harry transformed into his human form. "Hi," he said shyly.

"Hello Gaoithe," the twins replied, deciding to keep that name even if Harry was in his human form to prevent themselves from accidentally calling him Harry in front of others. They excitedly explained that they had discovered a secret passage that, according to the map, led to Hogsmeade.

Making sure once again that no one was nearby, the three boys climbed down behind the one eyed witch into the secret corridor and walked towards Hogsmeade, where they carefully left the passage through the cellar of Honeydukes and stepped onto the main street, looking around in awe. Only when Harry saw Severus and Minerva stand a few metres up the street, he remembered that Severus was chaperoning a Hogsmeade visit on that day.

"Quickly; let's flash away," Harry hissed to the twins, before he transformed into Gaoithe and flashed back to Hogwarts as soon as he noticed the twins were holding on to his back feathers.

"Thank you, Gaoithe..."

"... You saved us..."

"... from an excruciating death..."

"... at the hands of our Head of House," the twins thanked Harry profusely when they arrived back on the third floor corridor.

After a glance at the map to confirm that they were alone, Harry once more transformed into his human form. "They didn't notice us now, did they?" he asked anxiously.

"No..."

"At least we hope not," the twins replied, exchanging a quick look.

"By the way, Gaoithe..."

"...would you mind..."

"...teaching us..."

"... how to become Animagi?"

Harry frowned. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea how to do that. I just think of my phoenix form, and then I change. But I saw an interesting book in the bookshop, which I wanted. Sadly, I couldn't explain to the professor why I would need such a book."

The twins laughed. "Of course not. Why would a phoenix need a book about Animagi," Fred chuckled, glancing at his twin brother.

"But we have a huge library here," George agreed with his brother's unspoken suggestion.

"I can skim the professor's bookshelves when he is in class next week, and if I find a book on Animagi, I'll read and tell you about it," Harry promised. "Since probably no one knows this hidden corridor, we could meet there and practise if you want."

"That's a good idea. I wonder if we can choose into which animal we want to change," Fred said thoughtfully.

"I have no idea, but I'll look it up. What animal would you try if you could choose?" Harry asked curiously, quickly turning into his phoenix form when he saw on the map that Mrs. Norris appeared at the end of the corridor.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following weeks, Harry feverishly searched Severus' bookshelves for a book about Animagi, but he couldn't find anything. However, when he met the twins on a Saturday shortly before the beginning of the holidays, he told them excitedly, "I found something in one of my familiar's potions books. It's an old potion that makes it easier and faster for someone to change into an animal. It makes you change once, so you exactly know how your body is supposed to look."

"So you can't choose your animal?" the twins asked simultaneously.

"The book didn't say that. Maybe it's only a suggestion for the most likely Animagus form," Harry replied thoughtfully. "The potion doesn't seem too difficult, and it should only take an hour and seven minutes until it's finished; so I could help you brew it, for example when the professor is in a staff meeting."

"That would be cool," the twins agreed immediately.

Since there was no staff meeting, of which Harry knew early enough to alert the twins, before the end of the school year, the twins decided to skip the Leaving Feast and instead head to the Potions classroom to brew the potion together with Harry.

After a glance on the map, Harry changed back and instructed Fred to help him prepare the ingredients and George to look at the map all the time. When he finally began to brew, George watched him closely to assure that he did everything correctly, while Fred closely observed the map.

"It's easy to watch the map. If anyone wanted to come here, he or she would have to descend all the way from the entrance hall," Fred said, slowly beginning to relax.

"No," Harry replied firmly. "Severus could also come through the Floo; so you have to make sure that he doesn't walk towards the fireplace in the Great Hall."

However, the three children were lucky and managed to brew their potion undisturbed. Harry bottled two phials of the potion and instructed the twins how to magically clean up the workspace, explaining that he had often enough watched Severus but of course hadn't tried to do any magic except for the Animagus transformation yet, especially since he didn't even own a wand.

"This looks as it was before," George finally stated, and Harry agreed in relief.

"Shall we go and try the potion?" Fred suggested, glancing at his wrist watch. "We still have time."

"All right, grab my tail feathers," Harry instructed the twins and transformed.

An instant later, they found themselves in the hidden corridor. '_I wonder what their Animagus forms are_,' he mused as the twins downed their potions. When they began to transform, he couldn't help laughing. '_Grey Parrots with red tails that resemble their hair_,' he inwardly chuckled and changed into his phoenix form again. #Can you understand me?# he asked hopefully.

#Yes.#

#Wow. How cool is this?#

#Well then you have to practise changing during the holidays,# Harry trilled. #You're lucky, because you can watch each other to see your exact form. Very convenient.#

The twins enjoyed being parrots and were disappointed when they automatically changed back after a certain time that seemed much too short.

"Oh, the Leaving feast seems to be over," George spoke up after a glance on the map. "We need to go back."

Harry nodded and turned his back to them as an invitation to flash them to Gryffindor, and he was back in the Potions Master's quarters right in time, before the professor returned home, looking forward to a quiet evening with his familiar.

'_Thank Merlin no one saw me, although I changed into Harry several times today_,' the phoenix thought as he jumped onto Severus' shoulder, knowing that Severus had become very good at stroking his head feathers.

However, his luck was not going to last through the summer holidays.

風の力を持つハリー

One day during the holidays, Professor McGonagall Floo-called Severus after breakfast, asking if she could borrow Gaoithe for a few hours.

"Of course, if Gaoithe doesn't mind," Severus replied in surprise.

#I'd love to visit the cat professor,# Harry trilled happily, causing Severus to smirk and translate to his older colleague.

"Well then, can you flash into my office, Gaoithe?" Minerva queried, causing Harry to nod and flash straight away.

Unfortunately, he managed to land in the middle of the professor's desk, causing a few piles of parchment to get mixed up in the small whirl of wind that accompanied him.

#Oh, I'm sorry," he trilled, horrified.

"It's all right, Gaoithe; no one is here, and you can transform into Harry," Minerva said gently, while she rearranged her parchments with a flick of her wand.

Harry flew down to the floor and changed into his human form. "I'm so sorry, Professor, for making a mess on your desk," he apologised profusely.

"No problem, Harry. Tell me, have your relatives ever taken you to the zoo?"

Harry threw the teacher a surprised look, before he slowly shook his head. "No Professor, they've never taken me anywhere. I always had to stay with Mrs. Figg, when they took Dudley to places." Noticing that he was rambling, he slowly trailed off.

"Very well, sweetie; I thought we could make a trip to the London zoo together. What do you think?"

"I'd love to go to the zoo," Harry replied enthusiastically, throwing the cat professor a happy smile.

"All right then, can you flash us to the Apparition point in Hogsmeade? Do you know where that is?"

Harry nodded. "Yes Professor, I've flashed Severus there before." He quickly changed back into Gaoithe and flashed to Hogsmeade, from where Minerva apparated them straight into the London zoo.

'_Wow, this is so cool_,' Harry thought happily as he glanced around in amazement, seeing himself face to face with a penguin. '_We'll have so much fun here_.'

However, Minerva was going to realise soon that it wasn't the best of all ideas to take a multiple Animagus to the zoo.

風の力を持つハリー

Minerva and Harry stood in front of the penguins, watching them being fed for a while.

"Well, shall we go and see what other animals there are?" Minerva asked gently but suddenly noticed that Harry wasn't standing next to her anymore. "Harry?" she asked in confusion, glancing around in shock.

Harry observed the penguins and noticed that there was a smaller penguin standing behind the others that couldn't manage to catch even one fish. '_How unfair the bigger ones are_,' he thought and without properly thinking about the matter transformed into his phoenix form, flashed behind the penguins and changed into a penguin, feeling very happy when he succeeded in catching a fish. He carefully held the delicacy in his mouth and laid it in front of the smaller penguin's feet, telling him that he caught it for him.

Only when he saw that the other penguin was happily devouring his meal, Harry transformed back into his phoenix form and returned to Minerva's side.

"Oh thank God, there you are, Harry. I was so worried when I couldn't find you," Minerva said, sounding very relieved.

Harry quickly told her about the small penguin, and Minerva couldn't help smiling at Harry's kindness. "That was very kind of you, although I'd appreciate it if you told me in advance."

"I'll do the next time," Harry promised sincerely, causing Minerva to sigh in exasperation at the imagination of Harry transforming into a skunk, tiger or lama.

Apparently sensing that the cat professor didn't approve of him changing into animals and visiting the animals in the enclosures, Harry refrained from transforming again. Only when they came to the chimpanzees, he asked hesitantly if he could transform and play for a few minutes, because the chimpanzees had such a nice playground with swings and slides.

"Yes, you may," Minerva reluctantly allowed him to go, knowing that the child deserved to have some fun after his horrible childhood.

It took nearly an hour until Harry returned, but he was very excited and happy, and Minerva chuckled inwardly at the boy's sweetness. "All right Harry; there are only the snakes left. However, we're only going there if you promise not to transform into a snake."

"I promise," Harry replied, giggling, and after a first shock when Minerva gently took his hand he slowly relaxed when she continued to hold it while they walked over to the snakes.

They stood in front of the snakes' enclosure for a few minutes, and Harry began to talk with one of them, until he suddenly heard a well-known voice shout, "Dad, look what the snake is doing!" He felt himself being pushed onto the ground and watched, terrified, as his cousin pressed his hands against the glass in an attempt to communicate with the snake as well.

"Come Harry, let's go," Minerva said and kindly helped him up from the ground.

"Yeah," Harry replied absentmindedly while he concentrated on Dudley and the glass that separated the snakes from the visitors.

When Minerva quickly pulled him away and around the next corner, the snake slithered along and hissed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Harry replied softly, just before Minerva apparated them back to Hogsmeade.

"Professor, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put my cousin behind the glass," Harry quickly apologized, feeling very bad towards the kind professor, who had taken him for such a nice excursion. "Are you very angry, Professor?"

Minerva shot him a quick smile. "No Harry, I'm not angry. You did accidental magic, which was not your fault. If it had been anyone else, I'd have helped them escape of course, but since it was your cousin, who always bullied you, I just decided to get away with you as fast as possible. It was your cousin who started everything anyway."

Harry sighed in relief. '_Thank God. I wouldn't want her to be angry at me. I really like her_.' "Thank you so much for taking me to the zoo. I absolutely loved it," he said gratefully, absentmindedly observing the Giant Squid play in the lake.

"You're welcome, Harry. We can go to other places over the holidays, for example to a playground, if you want," Minerva replied softly, suddenly getting aware of the fact that Harry was still in his human form, although they were slowly walking up to the castle. "Harry, you need to transform back into Gaoithe quickly," she said urgently, causing Harry to change forms in the blink of an eye.

'_Thank God the cat professor noticed it; I completely forgot_,' Harry realised in shock at his own carelessness. A few minutes later, he flashed back into Severus' quarters, thinking that it was a bit sad he couldn't tell the man every detail of his adventure. '_I'll still tell him that we were in the zoo_,' he mused as he searched the living room, the potions lab and even the office for Severus, who was nowhere to be seen. Sadly, Harry sat on his perch and waited for his familiar to come home. '_Where can he have gone?_' he thought impatiently as the hours passed and there was still no sign of the professor.

風の力を持つハリー

Suddenly, Harry heard a series of harsh coughs coming from the professor's bedroom. '_Oh no, is he sick?_' he mused and quickly flashed into the bedroom. The professor was curled up under his covers. His face was even paler than normal, while his cheeks were deeply flushed, and dark rings were surrounding his eyes. Strands of his normally straight long hair were stuck to his sweaty forehead.

Not sure how he could help the professor, Harry tried to assess if he was awake, although his eyes were closed. #Severus?# he asked tentatively.

Severus slowly opened his eyes half-way and mumbled hoarsely, "Gaoithe. Thank God it's you and not all the other birds again."

#Other birds?# Harry asked in surprise, wondering if the twins had somehow been able to transform and make their way into the professor's quarters.

"There were owls and a dove and a parrot and... Look, there is still an eagle. Over there, at the window," Severus croaked.

#I think you're delirious, sir. Did you take a potion, or do you at least know what's ailing you?# Harry asked, slightly beginning to panic. '_Why does he have to fall ill just when Madam Pomfrey is away for a week? What can I do to help him?_' he thought feverishly. '_Should I ask the cat professor for help?_'

"Need the flu potion," Severus mumbled, throwing his covers away, only to reach for them again an instant later.

#Of course, I'll fetch it,# Harry replied and flashed away. '_He needs one of the strong fever reducers as well_,' he mused as he skimmed the shelf with the potions phials and finally flashed back with two phials.

He held the flu potion out for Severus, but the professor merely pointed to the charmed window and mumbled something like giving it to the eagle, so he might finally go away, before he once more began to fight with his covers. Harry helplessly listened to the professor's rambling, before he finally made a decision after getting a glimpse into Severus' eyes that looked glassy and sick. '_I need to change into my human form and nurse him back to health. He is too ill to help himself_,' he realised, '_and I can't call the cat professor, because it's already midnight_.'

Harry carefully placed the phials on the night table and transformed. Picking up the phial with the flu potion, he pressed it against the professor's lips and said in a soft voice, "This is the flu potion. Please swallow, sir."

To his immense relief, Severus obediently swallowed the potion as well as the fever reducer, and finally drifted off to sleep as the potions kicked in. If Harry had been afraid that the professor would realise who he was, his fears faded into concern when he noticed the heat the man was radiating even after taking the potions. He carefully laid his small, cool hand on the professor's forehead. '_I need to cool him down_,' he thought and hurriedly fetched a bucket of water and a small towel from the bathroom.

Harry spent the next few hours trying to cool the professor's hot face. From time to time, he glanced at the time that was displayed at the ceiling with a permanent charm, knowing from the book about healing potions and their effects, which he had read a few weeks ago, that Severus would need his next dose of potions after four hours. '_Maybe the potions would be more efficient, if I added a few phoenix tears_,' he mused and changed back into Gaoithe, before he flashed into the lab, carefully uncorked a phial with the potion for the wizard's flu and let two tears drop into the phial. Then he repeated the process with the fever reducer and flashed back into the bedroom.

Back in his human form, he gently shook the professor's shoulder, noticing that the man slightly flinched back at his touch. "Severus, you need to take your next dose of the potions," he whispered and carefully pressed the first phial against the man's lips.

Severus obediently swallowed both potions, before he sighed in relief. "That's much better," he mumbled, "thank you." Glancing at Harry, he corrected himself, uttering incredulously, "Potter? No, I must still be delirious; it's even getting worse. Seeing birds was still better."

To Harry's relief, the professor drifted back to sleep right afterwards. '_That was dangerous_,' Harry mused as he continued to bathe the professor's face with a cold, wet towel, before sleep claimed him as well in the early morning hours.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Severus woke up, feeling much better. '_How strange_,' he mused as he listened to his body to assess his condition, before he even opened his eyes. '_I remember that Gaoithe gave me two doses of the flu potion, but I should need at least another two to recover. Or could it be...? He is a phoenix, and he healed me before. Maybe he added phoenix tears to the potion. That would explain why I feel so well already_.' He tentatively opened his eyes to see if the eagle had finally vanished from the window.

However, while the eagle was gone, a small boy was sitting on the chair next to his bed, fast asleep with his head resting on the edge of Severus' bed. '_What the...?_' Severus' thoughts went haywire. '_There was a boy during the night. Apparently, it was not because I was delirious. But Gaoithe was there as well_.' One thought connected to the other, making him finally realise, '_Gaoithe is an Animagus. But Potter?_' he thought in shock. '_Potter in his Animagus form is my familiar?_'

'_He is Gaoithe. He only transformed into his human form to look after you during the night, before he fell asleep in exhaustion after healing you. He must love you very much to give up his secret in order to make you feel better_,' a small voice at the back of his head spoke up.

Severus let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe?" he asked tentatively, causing the boy to stir and look up sleepily.

"How are you feeling, sir?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm fine, thank you. Is it correct to assume that you were so kind as to heal me with phoenix tears?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at the boy, who hadn't even noticed that he forgot to transform back into his phoenix form.

"Yes sir. I hope it was all right," Harry admitted shyly.

"Of course it was. You healed me. Thank you very much. Is there an explanation as to why you're a little boy and not a phoenix this morning?" Severus asked. To his surprise, he felt more amused at the boy's mishap than angry about the fact that the child hadn't revealed himself earlier.

Harry let out a gasp and hurriedly transformed back into Gaoithe. #I'm sorry, sir. I have a human form as well, and I only changed in order to cool your face last night, sir. I couldn't do that in my phoenix form. I'm sorry, sir. I should have told you much earlier, but life is so much better as a phoenix, and I didn't want anyone to know.#

Severus frowned. '_I have no idea what he's talking about, but I should hear him out_,' he mused. '_It would be good to get a bit more comfortable though_.' "Gaoithe, let's sit in our usual place in the living room, and then you're going to tell me everything. All right?" he suggested in his usual soft voice.

#Okay sir,# Harry replied. In order to give Severus some space, he flashed back to his perch, anxiously fluffing his feathers in anticipation to his familiar's reaction on his revelation.

A few minutes later, Severus entered the room, dressed in his usual black polo shirt and trousers he used to wear at home. He sat in his favourite armchair and patted his knee for Gaoithe to sit on. "Come here, Gaoithe, and explain everything from the beginning please."

#All right,# Harry trilled and jumped on the professor's knee. He hesitantly told the professor the whole story from the beginning, before he anxiously waited for the man's reaction.

"So Professor McGonagall has known about it the whole time?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.

#Yes sir, but I begged her not to tell anyone. Please don't be angry at her, sir. And Madam Pomfrey knows as well, but she only found out, because she came into the cat professor's quarters, when I was in my human form, because the cat professor had just mended a scratch on my knee.#

Seeing that the professor was eyeing him deep in thought, Harry couldn't fight his tears back anymore. #I'm so sorry, professor. I really didn't mean to lie to you or to betray you. I just wanted to live as a phoenix, sir, and it was by chance that I ended up with you. But now I've become used to living with you. Please don't send me away, sir. I love you, sir,# he sobbed, and the tears were freely running down his green feathers.

"Stop crying, Gaoithe. You should know by now how valuable phoenix tears are," Severus chastised him softly. "I love you too, and I wouldn't want to miss your company anymore."

#Thank you, sir,# Harry trilled in a very relieved tone, and Severus watched in amusement how the phoenix left his spot on his knee and slowly walked up to his favourite place on his left shoulder, where he continued his sleep that had been interrupted earlier.

Severus leaned back in his chair, realising that he needed some more rest as well, and thought about everything Gaoithe had told him. '_Will Albus allow him to stay with me upon knowing his identity? I must speak with Minerva_,' he mused. '_She apparently appreciates that he ran away from his relatives against the Headmaster's wishes and is living with me. I still can't believe who he is. His father would turn around in his grave if he knew where his precious son ended up_.'

'_But his mother was your best friend and would be glad that the boy lives with you_,' the annoying voice at the back of his head threw in.

'_That might be true, and Gaoithe seems to be very much alike Lily_,' Severus thought, feeling surprisingly undisturbed by the fact that Gaoithe was Harry Potter. Maybe he still wasn't completely back to his normal condition. He yawned, before he followed his familiar's example and took a nap in his favourite chair with Gaoithe, who was slightly snoring, on his shoulder.

風の力を持つハリー

Harry and Severus were both pulled out of their dreams when the fireplace flared and Minerva stepped out, laughing at their sight.

"Oh Severus and Gaoithe, you look so comfortable napping together," she chuckled, causing Severus to wake up properly.

"We're recovering from a stressful night," he replied evenly, quirking an eyebrow. "By the way, is there anything you needed to tell me?"

'_She'd make a good Slytherin after all_,' he thought when Minerva feigned ignorance and replied lightly, "No, I merely wanted to beg you to join Albus and me for dinner tonight. He is in his 'inventing' mood. You know how he gets after eating too many lemon drops. During breakfast, he kept talking about buying a computer and trying to get it to run in the magical world, so that we could use computers and even magically connect them to a network. Wizardnet or something like that. I don't know where he gets these ideas, but, let's face reality. We don't have time to help him play the whole day."

Severus chuckled, before he sobered. "In fact, Minerva, I don't think that the idea is so bad. Somewhere in a Muggle magazine, I read something about databases, and I'd love to have something like that for my potions ingredients. And I believe I have someone, who might be interested in assisting the Headmaster with his research." He glanced to his left shoulder and carefully ran his slender fingers through the fluffy feathers of his familiar's stomach, causing the phoenix to wake up and turn his head.

#I'm sorry,# he trilled sleepily. #Please tell the cat professor good morning and thanks for a great day at the zoo.#

The Potions Master quickly translated, before he asked, "Why don't you transform, so you can speak with Professor McGonagall yourself?"

While Minerva let out a gasp, Harry threw the professor a hesitant look. #Do you really mean that?# he asked anxiously. #Are you not angry?#

Severus sighed. "Gaoithe or Harry, whichever you prefer, I believe that we already spoke about the matter, and everything is all right except for the fact that we have to decide if we want to inform the Headmaster about your identity or keep it a secret for the time being. This is actually something I wanted to discuss with you, Minerva."

Harry flew down to the floor and changed into his human form, hovering unsurely next to the professor, before Severus raised an eyebrow at him and said softly, "This is still your home, Gaoithe, even if you're in your human form. Sit down."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, smiling, and quickly took a seat, before he turned to Minerva and once more thanked her profusely for the day at the zoo.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Minerva replied gently, turning to Severus. "By the way, how did you find out about Harry?"

"Later Minerva," Severus said impatiently. "First of all, we need to decide what to do with Albus, before he comes through the fireplace by chance to inform me about his newest idea. If we tell him, it might be that he insists on sending Gaoithe back to his relatives. On the other hand, if he knew, I could apply for the guardianship over Gaoithe and officially make him my ward, provided that is what he wants. What do you think, Minerva and Gaoithe?"

Harry chuckled. "If he sends me back to the Dursleys, I'm just going to flash away and come back here anyway," he said matter-of-factly.

Severus smirked. "That sounds very reassuring. However, maybe today would be a good time to inform the Headmaster, considering that he needs someone to help with his newest idea. Gaoithe, did you by chance hear what Professor McGonagall told me about computers?"

Harry frowned. "No sir, I'm sorry. Dudley has some kind of computer. He plays some kind of games the whole day."

"The point is that electronic devices don't work in the magical world, but Professor Dumbledore wants to find out how to make computers work here," Minerva explained gently.

"It could be helpful for cataloguing potions ingredients for example," Severus added pensively. "Would you be interesting to assist the Headmaster with his research? It probably involves much reading of Muggle books about computers and networks."

"I don't know anything about it," Harry admitted in a small voice, "but you know how much I like to read. I'd love do research together with the Headmaster. I don't have anything to do anyway."

"When are you supposed to attend Hogwarts? Next year?"

"Yes sir."

"Harry is going to be ten years in three weeks' time," Minerva threw in.

"Very well then; shall we call the Headmaster, Gaoithe? Would you like to remain in your human form or transform back?"

"I'll change back," Harry said anxiously and quickly transformed into his phoenix form. '_That way, Severus and I will be able to talk in private, since Dumbledore can't understand me, and Severus can mind think to me_,' he thought, settling down on Severus' shoulder as soon as the Potions Master returned from the fireplace.

An instant later, the Headmaster stepped out of the fireplace and made himself comfortable on the sofa. "Good morning my boy; I missed you at dinner last night. Is everything all right?"

"Everything is well," Severus replied shortly, before he continued, "I might have someone, who is willing to assist with the new toy you intend to acquire."

"Oh really?" Dumbledore asked with interest, glancing at Minerva.

Severus cleared his throat. "When I was slightly indisposed last night, my phoenix cared for me and healed me with his phoenix tears. However, in order to be better able to look after me, he transformed into his human form, in which is fell asleep later on, so that I noticed that he is not a phoenix but in fact an Animagus."

Ignoring the Headmaster's gasp, Severus continued, "The poor boy was neglected and abused at his home, and believe me, Albus, I remember my own abusive father too well to willingly expose a child to abuse. I'd like to become the boy's guardian and keep him here at Hogwarts."

Seeing that the Headmaster was trying to get a good glimpse at him, Harry nestled deeper into the curtain of Severus' hair, feeling very reassured by Severus' kind words.

Dumbledore glanced at his Deputy Headmistress. "Minerva, do you know who the boy is?"

One of her rare smiles stole itself on Minerva's face when she replied with a slightly threatening undertone, "I know, Albus, and I fully support Severus in this matter."

The Headmaster leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Very well then; I trust Minerva's opinion. All right, Severus; I won't send the boy away, if you gain the guardianship from his parents. Who is he?"

Minerva calmingly laid a hand on Dumbledore's arm, before she replied in a soft voice, "It's Harry Potter, Albus."

The Headmaster's eyes widened in shock. "Both of you should know better. Harry has to live with his relatives for a reason. We can't take him away from there," he groaned.

'_That was to be expected_,' Harry thought darkly, when suddenly Severus' telepathic thoughts penetrated his mind. 'Gaoithe, you must transform and tell him what you think. That'll work best. Professor McGonagall and I will help you.'

Harry hesitantly flew down onto the floor and changed into his human form, anxiously hovering between Severus and Minerva.

"Come Gaoithe, you may still sit on my knee," Severus offered and gently laid his arms around the boy as he gratefully accepted the invitation.

Harry leaned back against Severus, feeling reassured as the familiar scent of herbs engulfed him. He shyly turned his eyes to the Headmaster. "Professor, I will not return to my relatives. They hate me, because I'm a wizard. If you send me back, I'll flash away immediately, and you'll never see me again. I'd like to stay with Severus, who is like the father I never had. Please let me stay with him. I promise that I'll help with your research about computers," he said in a small but firm voice. '_If he sends me back to the Dursleys, I'll return here and live with Severus as a Dalmatian_,' he decided when the Headmaster remained quiet for a few minutes.

"Albus, I have observed how the Dursleys treated him more than once," Minerva threw in sternly. "If you make him go back to that abusive family, I'm going to report the Dursleys to the Ministry because of child abuse, and I know that Poppy will support me. She already knows about the matter."

Dumbledore let out a long sigh, acknowledging his defeat. "All right. You won. Severus, you may keep Harry here; however, you must go to the Dursleys and obtain the guardianship from them."

"Very well then; Gaoithe, shall we go immediately?" Severus asked.

"I don't mind, but are you feeling well enough?" Harry queried in a soft voice.

Minerva frowned. "What exactly was wrong last night?" she enquired worriedly.

"Severus had the flu and was running a high fever," Harry explained, causing Minerva to throw the Potions Master a sharp look.

"Well, Harry is right then. You can still go tomorrow. In fact..." She chuckled as she recalled the events of the day before. "I'm not sure if the Dursleys realised that it was Harry's doing, but they might not be too pleased to see him today." Seeing her two colleagues look at her in surprise and expectance, she quickly explained what had happened at the zoo the day before.

Severus chuckled, while the Headmaster shook his head. "Shouldn't you at least..."

"No Albus," Minerva interrupted him firmly. "I've watched that boy mistreat Harry all these years. I know it might sound rude, but I think it served him well."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized in a small voice.

"Gaoithe, there is no need to apologize. It was your cousin's fault anyway. You only cast accidental magic, because he pushed you away from the window and onto the floor, didn't you?" Severus objected vehemently.

"Yeah, that's true," Harry admitted.

"Very well then, let's forget about the matter," the Headmaster said pleasantly, slowly unwrapping a lemon drop as he changed the topic. "Harry, you offered to assist me with my research about computers. Frankly speaking, I know nothing about computers. I merely found a Muggle magazine about the topic when I rode the London tube just for fun a few days ago. I'll make Fawkes bring you the magazine. It's very interesting. Our problem is that we don't have ecelticitiy in the magical world, and we have to find a way around that."

"I suppose that you'll need to find a charm," Severus threw in evenly. "After our visit to the Dursleys tomorrow, I'll take Gaoithe to The Ink Pot. Maybe we'll find some interesting books in the Muggle division." Seeing Harry throw him a questioning look, he explained, "The Ink Pot is my favourite bookshop, and it has a Muggle and a magical division. It's in Muggle London but not far from the Leaky Cauldron."

"I'd love to go there," Harry replied, chuckling inwardly as he thought, '_Severus seems to be as keen on the research with the computer as the Headmaster_.'

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Minerva said, "Now Albus, we should go and give Severus and Gaoithe some rest. They both look worse for the wear."

"I'm fine," Severus and Harry said simultaneously, exchanging a quick look.

'_She called me Gaoithe like Severus_,' Harry mused. '_Maybe I should just change my real name, so that no one will know who I am, even if I'm in my human form. After all I read in the books, Harry Potter is way too famous for something I did as a baby without even knowing what I did_.' "Hmm? Sorry?" he asked, suddenly realising that Severus was talking to him.

"Are you all right, Gaoithe?" Severus queried, and, seeing Harry nod, continued, "I suggest that we ask Cicero to make a room for you, in case you want to spend some time in your human form."

"Thank you," Harry replied gratefully, absentmindedly counting the books on the top shelf of the bookshelf to the right of the fireplace.

The Headmaster and his Deputy excused themselves, and while Cicero and a group of house-elves prepared Harry's room, Severus sat in his favourite chair with Harry in his phoenix form on his shoulder.

The two wizards quiedly talked about Harry's phoenix form and about his life at the Dursleys, and Harry told Severus everything, even that he was a Multiple Animagus.

"You can transform into any animal you want?" Severus asked in disbelief.

#Yes, but if I'm in my human form, I have to change into my phoenix form first. Um... if possible, I don't want anyone to know about this though. The cat professor knows of course and maybe Madam Pomfrey as well. I'm not sure.#

"Professor McGonagall, Gaoithe," Severus chastised him lightly, before he promised, "I won't tell anyone about it. Now, shall we go and take a look at your new room?"

The phoenix let out a happy trill but remained on Severus' shoulder as the man walked into the room with the blue door that the elves had prepared next to the professor's bed room, which was the one with the black door.

#Wow, this room is absolutely gorgeous,# Harry blurted out, taking in the small bed room that was equipped with a comfortable looking bed, a desk, two chairs, a wardrobe, a bookshelf, and a huge magical window that covered the smaller side of the room opposite the door. #Is this really my room?# he asked in disbelief.

"Of course, Gaoithe. It's just a normal room, and if you're going to remain here as my ward, you need your own room in case you want to spend some time or even want to sleep in your human form. We can change the colours, and you can put up pictures on the walls if you want."

#Err... Severus,# Harry trilled in a very small voice. #For me, this is not a normal room. Until I came to stay with you, I lived in the cupboard under the stairs. This room is absolutely fantastic, and I love the different shades of blue, in which it's decorated. Thank you so much.#

"You're welcome," Severus replied, gently ruffling the phoenix's head feathers, before he let out a sigh. "It's probably already dinner time and as you heard this morning, I had to promise Professor McGonagall to attend dinner in the Great Hall. Will you accompany me, either in your human or your phoenix form?"

#Of course,# Harry trilled happily. #I'd prefer my phoenix form though, if you don't mind. Let me flash you to the entrance hall.#

Still feeling exhausted from being sick the night before and not overly keen on walking all the way, Severus gratefully agreed.

#Gaoithe! I'm glad you still came to join me, nestling!# Fawkes trilled as soon as Harry entered the Great Hall, once more riding on Severus' shoulder. #The old grumpy one told me everything.# Fawkes chuckled as Harry jumped onto the perch, landing next to him. #He said that he'd have wanted for you to grow up with the dark, snarky one, but that Severus would have never agreed to take you in, if you hadn't ended up with him by chance. Albus was very pleased with me for talking you into becoming the snarky one's familiar. You must know that my familiar is a manipulating, old coot,# Fawkes added pleasantly.

Harry chuckled. '_I didn't understand everything of his trilling, but at least Dumbledore doesn't seem to be angry_,' he thought and hurriedly left the perch as he saw that Severus put a few spoonfuls of carrots and peas on his plate.

風の力を持つハリー

After Harry had flashed Severus and himself back to the dungeons, Severus suggested, "Gaoithe, why don't you transform into your human form and sleep in your new bed? You can still change back in case you feel uncomfortable."

'_I don't have any pyjamas though_,' Harry mused. '_I only have the clothes I'm wearing, the ones that the cat professor made from Dudley's hand-me-downs_.'

"You don't have to," Severus reassured him, misinterpreting Harry's hesitation.

#No, it's all right; it's just that I don't have pyjamas or any other clothes apart from those I'm wearing,# Harry admitted in a small voice, causing the professor to audibly exhale the air.

"That's not a problem. I can transfigure your clothes into nightwear, and tomorrow, after paying your so-called family a visit, we'll go and buy proper clothes for you," Severus said soothingly, nodding contentedly when Harry accepted the offer and went to sleep in his new bed. "Sleep well, Gaoithe," he said softly as he gently tucked him in and observed Harry drift asleep with a smile playing on his lips.

However, a few hours later, Severus woke up by distressed sounds coming from the boy's room.

Glancing at the charmed display on the ceiling, Severus realised that it was two o'clock in the morning. He hurried into Harry's room, seeing that the child was thrashing around, completely entangled in his bed covers and apparently caught in a nightmare as he was begging his uncle not to hurt him.

Severus sat on the edge of Harry's bed and carefully laid a hand on the child's shoulder, noticing sadly that the boy flinched back. Only when he said in his soft, silky voice, "Gaoithe, calm down; it's me, Severus. No one is going to hurt you," Harry finally quietened and lazily opened his eyes.

"Severus," he mumbled sleepily, "I'm sorry that I woke you up."

"That's all right, Gaoithe," Severus replied soothingly and gently arranged the child's bed covers, before he asked softly, "Shall we drink a cup of hot cocoa together, and you tell me what your dream was about?"

Harry looked up at him in disbelief, causing Severus' features to automatically soften to a comforting smile, before he stood up from the bed to give the child some space.

Harry trailed along with the professor into the living room, where they sat on the sofa next to each other and quietly sipped the cocoa Cicero brought for them. "It was my uncle," Harry finally spoke up in a barely audible voice. "We went to see them because of the guardianship, and he didn't take it well. He beat you until you were on the floor, unconscious, and then he grabbed me, and..." Harry slowly trailed off as tears threatened to escape from the corners of his eyes.

Severus gently laid his arm around Harry's back and pulled him into a light embrace. "Gaoithe, you seem to have forgotten some important things. First of all, you're a phoenix. If we happened to be confronted with a dangerous situation, you could transform and get away, with or without me, at any time. Secondly, I'm a full grown wizard. Do you really expect your uncle to be able to harm you in my presence or harm me?"

"No," Harry replied, smiling as realisation set in.

"Promise me one thing, Gaoithe," Severus continued in a quiet voice. "Believe that I love you and that I will take you back here unharmed tomorrow, whatever I tell your uncle tomorrow."

"Okay," Harry replied, feeling slightly confused.

When Severus suggested going back to bed, Harry decided to spend the rest of the night in his phoenix form, knowing that he didn't have nightmares when he was a bird.

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Harry flashed Severus and himself to a spot behind the garage in the Dursleys' garden, before he changed back into his human form. They slowly walked around the garage and rang the door bell.

Harry hesitantly tried to hide behind Severus, when Petunia opened the door, staring at Severus in disbelief. "You!" she said with apparent loathing in her voice. "What do you want?"

"I suggest that we hold this conversation inside," Severus replied coldly, motioning for Harry to follow his aunt into the living room, where his uncle was sitting in front of the TV. "Dumbledore, the old coot, has ordered me to become this good for nothing boy's guardian," Severus began to explain, pulling a few parchments out of his robe pocket. "Therefore, I need your signature here on the guardianship papers."

"And why would we allow you to take our nephew in?" Vernon asked in a falsely friendly voice that nearly caused Harry to gag.

'Easy Gaoithe; take deep breaths and don't believe anything I say,' Severus quickly thought to Harry, before he replied, "Because the boy is dangerous. His magic is very powerful and turned out to be evil. You'd be in danger if you kept him."

"I don't believe a word," Petunia hissed. "It's your fault that Lily died. You were the one, who told her that she was a witch, and now you want to have her son. You're jealous, because she ran away from you with the other boy."

"Ah well, why don't we ask him," Vernon suggested in his false, friendly voice. "Boy, do you want to live with the man?"

'Gaoithe, think Slytherin,' Severus quickly thought to Harry.

Harry remained quiet for a moment, while his mind tried to process Severus' words, before he simply said, "No."

"Well, you heard him. He doesn't want to stay with you," Petunia hissed, throwing Severus a loathing glare.

"Oh well, Petunia; if I think about it, leaving him with the man seems to be a good way to get rid of the freak," Vernon said with an evil smirk on his face, causing Harry to inwardly sigh in relief. "Show me these papers. I'll sign them."

Harry held on his breath as he observed his uncle put his signature under the guardianship parchment. '_Thank Merlin_,' he thought as the parchment rolled up by itself and vanished into thin air. 'It sends itself to the Ministry of Magic,' Severus informed him telepathically, before he instructed him, 'Show me your cupboard.'

"Aunt Petunia, may I fetch my blanket from my cupboard?" Harry asked politely and led his new guardian to his small cupboard. While he fetched his baby blanket, Severus waved his wand around the cupboard in a complicated movement, before he slid the wand back into his robe pocket, smirking mischievously.

'_Thank Merlin, no one mentioned the incident at the zoo_,' Harry mused as he followed Severus out of the house, feeling extremely relieved at the thought that he'd probably never have to see his relatives again.

"Are you feeling up to flashing us to Hogsmeade, or shall I apparate us?" Severus asked in a small voice as they returned to the garden.

#I can flash us of course,# Harry, who had just transformed back, replied in surprise. #Hogsmeade, not Hogwarts?# he queried, just to be sure.

"Yes, we need to buy clothes for you, Gaoithe," Severus said firmly and carefully gripped a few of the phoenix's back feathers.

An instant later, the wizard and the phoenix found themselves in front of the bookshop in Hogsmeade. Severus took the bird on his hand, raising an eyebrow. "Where do you think we're going, Gaoithe? We need to buy clothes not books."

Harry chuckled and asked in a small voice, #Should I change into my human form now?#

"I think that would be for the best," Severus replied, smirking as he observed the boy transform. Suddenly, he put a hand on his forehead and groaned. "Oh no; I'm sorry, Gaoithe. I completely forgot that I promised to take you to The Ink Pot to look for books about computers. Flourish and Blotts is a pure magical bookshop. We won't find Muggle books here. We'll do that either later today or tomorrow morning. For now, clothes are more important."

"All right," Harry replied, laughing. "I still have to read the magazine Fawkes gave me anyway. I only read the first few pages, before I fell asleep last night."

Severus sighed. "Gaoithe, I appreciate your efforts and your readiness to help the Headmaster with his research. However, I believe that neither you nor Professor Dumbledore will succeed in making computers work in the magical world in the near future. A possible solution would probably be based on Charms. However, you're not even a first year, and even if I assume that you've read most of the first year school books by now, you don't have any practical experience, and, frankly speaking, the Headmaster is not very adept at technical matters. You might be able to solve the problem, but not now. It'll take you a few years at the least. So please don't get your hopes up too much. It might even be easier for the two of us to find a cure for lycanthropy."

Harry chuckled. He had read enough of Severus' books and Potions journals to know that such a cure was the dream of every Potions Master. "I'd love to help with that as well, and of course I know much more about Potions than about Charms yet."

Their conversation was interrupted when they entered a shop, in which Severus bought every kind of clothes he could imagine Gaoithe to need during the following months, gently reassuring the child that it was all right to buy so many clothes and that it was normal for every child to possess appropriate clothes. When they finally left the shop with several bags of clothes that were shrunk in Severus' robe pockets, the professor insisted to visit another shop and buy parchments and a quill for Harry. "When you're in your human form, you might want to take notes of what you read or write a letter to someone," he explained gently, causing Harry to become excited.

"May I perhaps write a letter to the Weasley twins? They found out about me by chance, and I became good friends with them," Harry explained hesitantly, when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, by the way, what did you do at the Dursleys? I mean when you waved your wand in my cupboard."


	6. Chapter 6

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Ah, that was a harmless spell that conjured a ghost from the magic that was still residing in your cupboard. Your ghost will forever live with the Dursleys, even if they choose to move, and whenever they say anything about you or the magical world, the ghost will tell them what they deserve to be told."

"Wow, that's cool!" Harry blurted out, chuckling.

"Your aunt always hated the magical world. I'm sure she'll appreciate my little prank. As to the Weasley twins," Severus picked up the earlier topic, "why don't you invite them to come over to Hogwarts for your birthday?"

Harry threw the professor an excited look. "May I really do that?"

"Of course, Gaoithe. Did you never have a birthday party?"

Harry slowly shook his head. "No sir." He remained quiet for a few minutes, while they walked along the main street, before he hesitantly asked, "Is it true... what my aunt said about you and my mother? That you were the one, who told her that she was a witch?"

Severus let out a long sigh. "Yes Gaoithe, your mother and I were very good friends. We lived nearby, and we played on the playground together ever since I can remember. When we were very small, Petunia used to play with us. However, she was always jealous, because there was something that seemed to connect Lily and me, although we didn't know what it was. Ever since my mother explained to me that I was a wizard when I was five or six, I knew that Lily was a witch. I still didn't tell her. I observed her for another year or two, just to be really sure, but then I told her, and Petunia didn't take it well, especially when I said that she wasn't a witch but just a normal girl. My father was a Muggle as well, and we lived in a complete Muggle environment. Of course, I was very happy to have another witch except for my mother living nearby."

By now they had reached the castle, and right before Severus opened the entrance doors, Harry blurted out, "Severus, is it all right to change back into my phoenix form?"

Severus threw the boy a surprised look but nodded. "Of course, Gaoithe. If you feel more comfortable as a phoenix, you may of course do so. Only the teachers are in the castle though, since it's still the middle of the holidays."

Harry quickly changed back and flew upwards until he reached Severus' shoulder, where he happily nestled into the black curtain of silky hair. Severus smiled and ruffled his familiar's head feathers, before he finally opened the door and stepped into the entrance hall.

To both Severus' and Harry's surprise, the entrance hall was not as quiet as usual. Right in front of the stairs to the dungeons, two cats were putting up a huge fight. One of them was a marmalade cat, and the other was grey. #Mrs. Norris,# Harry trilled to Severus. Mrs. Norris was clearly winning the fight.

"I have no idea who the other cat is, but we should help her anyway," Severus replied.

#Okay,# Harry trilled. He flew towards the ground and transformed into a cat, before he ran over to the fighting cats, shouting, =Let go of her, Mrs. Norris. What do you think you're doing?=

Mrs. Norris didn't let go of the other cat, whose left front leg already seemed to be badly injured, and Harry threw Severus a frantic look, only to see that Severus wasn't where he had been before. '_Where is he?_' he thought, trying not to panic, when he suddenly heard terrifying sounds from behind himself and noticed that the two other cats were looking at something right behind himself.

Mrs. Norris slowly let go of the other cat and dashed away, while the marmalade cat remained on the floor, meowing miserably.

'_Strange. Why is she not frightened?_' Harry mused as he slowly turned around to see what had made Mrs. Norris leave so fast. In spite of knowing that it had to be Severus, he instinctively transformed into his phoenix form at the sight of the huge black cat that was standing behind him.

=It's all right, Gaoithe. You know that it's only me. I'm a lynx Animagus,= Severus told him in a soft voice, before he stepped over to the injured cat that was obviously not afraid of him. =Hello there,= he said softly. =Show me your injuries. My son and I are both humans, and we'll be able to heal you.=

=I know who you are, Severus,= the other cat replied, causing Severus and Harry to look at her in surprise. =I didn't know that you had a son though.=

Harry quickly transformed back into his cat form. =Hello, I am Gaoithe,= he said softly, before he turned to Severus. =Shall I try to heal her leg with phoenix tears?=

Severus, still in his lynx form, leaned over the smaller cat and closely examined her leg. =Yes, Gaoithe, you could try to heal her leg with phoenix tears, but wait a moment. Does anything else hurt beside your leg?=

=My head,= the marmalade cat replied softly. =I hit my head on the ground when Mrs. Norris was chasing me. I'm Aurora by the way, Aurora Sinistra. I only became an Animagus recently. Minerva offered to teach me, and a few weeks ago I finally succeeded, but I'm not so used to being a cat yet. I only returned from my holidays a few hours ago and thought I could try it out in peace, while the students are away, but then Mrs. Norris caught me...= She slowly trailed off.

=Very well,= Severus replied thoughtfully. =Would you mind me taking you with me into my lab, so that I can properly examine your wounds? It's too dark here, and you seem to be cold,= he stated, seeing that the smaller cat was slightly shivering.

=Thank you Severus. I'm sorry to bother you,= Sinistra replied softly.

=You're not bothering me.= He transformed back into his human form and gently scooped the cat in his arms. "Gaoithe, would you mind flashing us to the lab?"

Harry changed as well and trilled, #Of course not. Let's go.#

An instant later, Severus was examining the cat on one of the tables in his bright lab. He gently felt around her head, noticing that she had a large bump at one side, before he motioned for Gaoithe to let a few tears drop into the wound on her leg. Harry complied, and Severus and his colleague observed in amazement how the wound closed completely as if nothing had happened at all.

"Your leg is healed, but I don't like the bump on your head," Severus said softly. "It's probably nothing, but you might have a concussion, and in that case it would be dangerous if you transformed back into your human form. I'll give you a headache potion..." He interrupted himself when Harry flashed to the potions shelf and returned with a phial. "A spoon please, Gaoithe. Thank you." He carefully fed the cat two spoonfuls of the light yellow potion. "I suggest that you rest in front of the fireplace for a while, and then we'll see."

A short while later, the cat was resting in front of the fireplace, and Harry was keeping her company in his cat form. =Thank you so much for your help,= the professor said sincerely. =Do you have two Animagus forms?=

Harry chuckled. =I'm a multiple Animagus. I can change into any animal I wish. Excuse me, but may I ask who you are?=

The marmalade cat smiled. =I am Aurora Sinistra, the Astronomy professor. I've known your father from my own time at Hogwarts. I was a first year, when he was in his fifth year. He never paid me any attention though, although we were in the same House.=

=He is not really my father, but he is my guardian, and he's like a father to me,= Harry explained hesitantly. =Can you keep a secret?=

=Of course.=

=In real, I'm Harry, Harry Potter, but I don't like that name; so I'm Gaoithe now.=

The marmalade cat let out a small gasp. =Lily's son. I knew your mother well, Gaoithe. She was a prefect when I was a first year, and although she was a Gryffindor, she very kindly helped me get used to being at Hogwarts. She was the kindest witch I ever knew, and we were good friends during the three years we spent at Hogwarts together.=

Their conversation was interrupted when Severus entered the living room and transformed into his lynx form. =How are you feeling?= he queried, raising an eyebrow.

'_Even in his lynx form he manages to do that. I didn't even know that cats had eyebrows_,' Harry thought, giggling. '_The professor seems very nice_.'

=I'm going to go on a small errand. I'll be back in a few minutes,= he informed his guardian and changed into his phoenix form. He quickly pondered if he should require Fawkes' help but dismissed the thought and flashed away to where he could sense Mrs. Norris roam an unused corridor.

Harry appeared right behind Mrs. Norris, causing her to take a shocked jump at the sudden gust of wind, before she ran away frightened as she noticed the tiger that appeared from behind her. Harry chased her around the castle for a few minutes and finally changed into his human form. '_I'll try the spell I read about yesterday. Maybe I'll be able to cast it_,' he mused and waved his hand in the direction of the grey cat that was cowering in a corner, uttering the incantation.

Contented with the result, Harry finally transformed back into his phoenix form and flashed back home, where the lynx and the marmalade cat were still quietly talking in front of the fireplace. Deciding not to disturb the adults, Harry remained on his perch and pleasurably cleaned his feathers, trying not to listen in to the cats' conversation.

Finally, Severus deemed the other professor well enough to transfigure back into her human form, and Harry observed in amazement as she changed into a woman with light brown hair that was laced with a touch of orange. She had warm brown eyes and a friendly smile, and Harry liked her immediately.

Severus invited his colleague to a cup of tea and motioned for Harry to change into his human form and join them.

#Thank you sir, but I don't want to disturb you,# Harry replied hesitantly.

"Gaoithe, you won't disturb us, but we missed lunch, and you need to eat something," Severus told him, pointing to the plate with sandwiches Cicero had brought for them.

When Harry hesitantly transformed and took a seat between the two professors, Severus queried, "May I ask what the small errand was you were talking about earlier? Did you perhaps go to meet Mrs. Norris?"

Noticing that the female professor looked up in surprise, Harry thought, '_He already knows me too well_.' Quickly taking a bite off the sandwich that was absolutely delicious, he slowly replied, "I chased her a bit through the castle as a tiger, and then I tried a spell I found yesterday. It changed her colour to neon green."

While Professor Sinistra laughed and thanked Harry for giving a nice payback to the evil cat, Severus frowned. "Gaoithe, can you tell me what the spell was and how you cast it?"

"Um... _Chorium viridis trafo_ I think it was. I wasn't sure about the last part, but it worked," Harry admitted in a small voice.

"Probably transformo," Sinistra chuckled. "Do you know how long it will last?"

Harry shook his head. "No," he replied thoughtfully. "But there was something." He stood up from the table and stepped over to the bookshelf, only to realise that he couldn't reach the book in his human form. Quickly changing into his phoenix form, he flew to the shelf and with a well practised movement carefully pulled the book out and laid it on the table, showing the professors the passage with the spell he had used.

When Harry was back in his human form, Severus threw him a thoughtful look. "You don't have a wand, Gaoithe. Did you just point your hand at Mrs. Norris?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied anxiously. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't play pranks, but Mrs. Norris was so mean to Professor Sinistra, so I thought..." he trailed.

"In this case I believe it was the right thing to do to the mangy bag of fur, and Mrs. Norris with her green skin is still better off than Professor Sinistra was with her injuries," Severus said softly.

"Thank you, Gaoithe. Now I feel much better because you took revenge for me," Sinistra said, giving Harry an encouraging smile, which he returned immediately.

"By the way, do you know why Filch named his cat Mrs. Norris?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus shook his head, but his colleague chuckled. "I don't know if it's true, but during my time as a student here I was told that he had been in love with a girl at his Muggle school. Her name was Nora Norris. After school he proposed to her, but she didn't want him. That's why he is living in the magical world now, even if he can't get along well and doesn't have any friends, and that's also why he named his cat Mrs. Norris."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of that story."

Sinistra sighed. "Lily told me that. She was so kind with everyone. She even went to visit Filch when he was stuck in the hospital wing after being hit with a Bludger. I remember that well. Everyone else was glad to have him out of the way for a week, but Lily took pity on him."

"Lily as in my mum?" Harry asked in a small voice, causing Severus to throw him a sad look.

"Yes Gaoithe, your mother was a wonderful woman."

'_He seems to have really liked my mum_,' Harry mused when the other professor suddenly stood and thanked them for their help and hospitality and took her leave.

Severus and Harry exchanged a quick look as Sinistra vanished in the flames and the fireplace became quiet again. "Did I say anything wrong?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow.

Harry frowned and informed Severus about the conversation he had held with the marmalade cat in front of the fireplace. "She told me that she was good friends with Lily. Maybe she misses her too," he said softly. '_She also said that Severus never noticed her. Perhaps she wanted his attention, but he had only eyes for my mum_,' he added to himself.

Severus muttered something to himself, before he changed the topic. "Gaoithe, you were going to write a letter to the Weasley twins, weren't you?"

"Yes," Harry said hesitantly, causing Severus to throw him a surprised look.

"Oh yes, I mean I'd love to have them here for my birthday. It's just... They won't bring their brother, will they? Percy; he doesn't seem to be very nice." He uncertainly kept his eyes fixed on the bookshelf right next to him.

Severus sighed. "He is a very eager and responsible student, but frankly speaking I don't like him either. The twins have two younger siblings though, but I suppose you want just the twins come to see you; is that correct?"

"Yes," Harry said, feeling extremely relieved that Severus was able to understand him so well. "The twins said something that their little sister liked me just by knowing my name, and I don't want that."

Severus looked at him pensively, absentmindedly playing with the stopper of a phial in his robe pocket. Finally, the Potions Master nodded slowly. "I understand. Write your letter, and I'll speak with the twins' parents personally." A thought crossed his mind and he added, "If you don't want them to know your real identity, we should pretend that your birthday is on a different day, the first of August for example."

"Oh right, that's good. Thank you, sir," Harry replied in apparent relief and retired to his new room to sit at his desk and compose his letter.

'_I hope the Weasleys will accept that he doesn't want to meet their whole brood_,' Severus thought. '_I better not tell them his real name but just stick with 'Gaoithe'. I could invite Draco as well, but it doesn't have to be on his birthday, considering that it's his first birthday party and he's not used to have many children around him. Maybe Draco could stay with us for a day or two at the end of the holidays. If I.._.'

"Severus?" a timid voice interrupted his musings. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but I can't write with that thing. It's getting all messy."

Severus looked up at the parchment Harry was holding out for him, an anxious expression on the small face.

"Very well Gaoithe; let me show you how to properly use that quill," Severus said softly, forcing himself to remain patient, and gently helped his ward.

Finally, Harry was able to write his invitation, and when he showed Severus the result, the professor sighed inwardly. "Gaoithe, before you become a student here, we'll need to do something about your atrocious hand writing. You need to practise a bit every day." He raised an eyebrow at the child.

"Yes sir." Harry eyed his hands that were spotting inkblots here and there.

"Go and wash your hands, Gaoithe. We need to attend dinner in the Great Hall," Severus instructed him and rose from his seat to get ready as well.

As usual Harry attended dinner in his phoenix form. '_I wonder when he'll feel comfortable enough to join us in his human form_,' Severus mused as he took his seat next to the Headmaster, looking up startled when Aurora sat next to him.

As soon as everyone was seated and dinner appeared on the table, Dumbledore looked around and began to speak. "Mr. Filch told me that someone turned his cat green. I'm a little surprised, because there aren't any students in the castle. Does anyone have an explanation on how Mrs. Norris could have taken on a bright neon green?"

Harry, who was comfortably sitting on Severus' shoulder, looked up startled but relaxed when he noticed that the Headmaster's eyes were twinkling pleasantly.

Severus quickly explained what the cat had done to Aurora, causing everyone to stare at him in surprise and amazement.

"Yes, Severus and his son Gaoithe were wonderful," Aurora threw in, smiling. "Thank you very much, both of you."

Severus slightly inclined his head towards his neighbour, while Harry let out a few happy trills. #You're welcome.#

"Why Severus, I wouldn't have believed you to play pranks on anyone," Minerva spoke up, smirking.

However, Severus' expression remained completely blank as he replied, "Minerva, I'd like to speak with you about the matter later on," not wanting to give Harry's abilities of performing wandless magic away in front of everyone. '_Maybe she can help me. I somehow have to speak with Gaoithe about wandless magic and find out if he is capable of performing it in general or if that was a single case, even if it wasn't accidental but planned magic_.'

Unaware of the amused look Aurora shot him, he telepathically communicated with Harry. 'Gaoithe, I'll go and take your letter to the Weasleys right after dinner. Would you like to visit one of my colleagues in the meantime or stay at home on your own?'

Harry remained thoughtful for a moment, before he trilled, #I'd love to visit one of the cat professors. I don't mind which one, but I don't want to disturb them.#

Severus smirked, noticing that everyone was eyeing him in expectance. "I have a small errand to run after dinner, and my ward told me he'd like to visit one of the two cat professors if he didn't disturb you," he explained, causing Minerva and Aurora to laugh.

"Aurora and Gaoithe, why don't you both join me for tea after dinner?" Minerva suggested, smiling when her younger colleague agreed and Harry eagerly nodded his head.

After dinner, Minerva motioned for Harry to sit on her shoulder, before she left the Great Hall together with Aurora. Only when they were out of sight, Harry flew down to the floor and change into his cat form, causing the two witches to exchange an amused look and transform as well.

風の力を持つハリー

While the three cats playfully roamed the castle, Severus returned to his quarters and took the Floo to the Burrow, '_the least place I'd like to go at this time_,' as he admitted to himself.

"Severus," Molly Weasley blurted out, astonished. "What a nice surprise. What brings you here in the middle of the summer holidays?"

Severus cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for intruding," he apologized and began to tell Harry's story without mentioning the boy's real name.

"The boy managed to fool you for more than six months?" Mrs. Weasley queried in disbelief.

"Yes," Severus replied evenly, "however, your twins apparently know more about the matter. According to my ward, they're friends, and Gaoithe would like to invite them for his birthday. He was a bit reluctant to send his invitation though, because he is not used to having many children around and only wants the twins to visit."

"Oh of course, Severus, I understand that. Although Ron is ten as well, and Ginny is going to become nine next month, but I'm sure the twins will appreciate visiting Gaoithe at Hogwarts. In fact they're talking about him often enough. They seem to be quite close. If I understood them correctly, he is the one who helped them brew the Animagus potion."

"The Animagus potion?" Severus queried in shock, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh no, Severus, don't get angry at your son. I'm sure he is a wonderful young man. At least that's what the twins told me. The potion helped them to easily become Animagi. They're both parrots."

Severus scoffed. '_What a fitting Animagus form_,' he thought, while Mrs. Weasley called Fred and George. '_I'll have to exchange a few words with Gaoithe about the matter. How dare he brew anything without my permission and supervision?_'

"Hello Professor," the twins suddenly caught his attention as they stood in front of him wearing expressions of a mixture of mischief and anxious expectance.

"Messrs. Weasley," Severus greeted them and handed over the letter. "Gaoithe would like to invite the two of you for a small birthday party on the first of August."

Fred and George quickly read the letter and exchanged a quick look. "Professor, we'd love to attend his party," they replied simultaneously.

Hesitantly, George continued, "Sir, there is something..."

"... we'd like to discuss with you in private..."

"Could you please..."

"... follow us into our room for a moment," they finished their annoying way of speaking together.

The professor hesitantly followed the twins into their room, suddenly finding himself face to face with a bubbling cauldron.

"What the..."

"Oh Professor, that's just a little prank potion we've been inventing," George quickly interrupted the teacher, while Fred fetched a handwritten recipe and held it out to the Potions Master.

Severus looked at the recipe in disbelief, and Fred hurried to explain, "This isn't our first try. We tried to invent something that would kind of numb the taste sense and make someone believe everything tasted the same."

"We've already run a few tests, and it worked well so far. This one is for our younger brother. He absolutely detests peas, but unfortunately, from tonight onwards everything will have the taste of peas," George added. "The effects last about a day."

"The potion is slightly bitter, but if you mix it into pumpkin juice, no one will notice," Fred explained to the stunned professor.

"Professor, please keep don't tell our mother about this..."

"... she'd fret and take our cauldrons away..."

"... but we have other potions to try out," the twins finished together.

Seeing that Severus opened his mouth, giving them a stern teacher's look, Fred added quickly, "We promise to be very careful."

"We won't do anything dangerous, and we won't harm anyone," George promised. "We always test the potions ourselves, before we give them to anyone else."

Severus couldn't hide a smirk as he remembered his own childhood. '_Nothing was more interesting than inventing little prank potions_,' he thought, sighing. "You must be careful," he said sternly. "The brewing of potions is extremely dangerous. If you have any questions, please come to me instead of trying something out that you aren't sure about."

"We will; thank you, sir," the twins promised sincerely and motioned for the professor to take a seat at their desk. "There is something we need to show you, Professor," George said hesitantly. He pulled a blank parchment out of his pocket, opened it and quietly spoke the incantation. "Professor, we trust you to keep this secret as well. We're merely showing you this for Gaoithe's safety, because we don't know if this is the only map that exists or if there are others."

Severus looked sharply at the parchment, realising with amazement what it displayed. "Where did you get this?" he queried in surprise as he let his eyes wander around the map in search of his ward.

"We'd like to keep that tiny bit of information for ourselves," Fred said quietly. "However, we found out that Gaoithe's parents or someone must have made it, because the map accepted him as the rightful owner and taught him the activation password. He merely left it to us because he couldn't use it in his phoenix form anyway."

"However that's not what we wanted to talk about," George threw in. "Where is Gaoithe?"

"He is supposed to be together with Professors McGonagall and Sinistra," Severus said thoughtfully, searching the map.

"I can't see either of them," Fred said, shaking his head.

'_Strange_,' Severus mused. '_Where can they have gone?_'

"Anyway, what we wanted to tell you is that the map displays people with their real names," George told the professor. "Therefore, Gaoithe is always shown as Harry Potter. If he doesn't want everyone to know who he is, maybe you should consider officially changing his name. Of course we won't show this map to anyone. Only you and Gaoithe know about it, but as I said earlier, we don't know if this is the only exemplar."

Severus nodded his understanding. "I'll speak to Gaoithe about the matter. Thank you for alerting me to the problem. I trust the two of you that you won't use this map to harm anyone."

"Of course sir," the twins replied simultaneously. "Would you like to borrow the map until Gaoithe's birthday?" the twins suggested, and Severus gratefully accepted the offer.

"I take it that Gaoithe knows how to activate and deactivate it?" he queried, causing the twins to nod. With that Severus followed the twins downstairs, where Mrs. Weasley threw him a questioning look.

"I hope my sons behaved themselves?"

"Yes; we had a very interesting conversation," Severus replied and quickly took his leave, eager to return to Hogwarts and find out where Gaoithe and his two colleagues were.

風の力を持つハリー

Severus took the Floo to his private quarters and sat in his favourite armchair, spreading the map out on his knees. '_Where is Gaoithe?_' he mused, slowly letting his eyes wander to the Gryffindor tower, beginning at the entrance hall. '_There, the Transfiguration classroom_,' he pointed his finger to a spot on the map, '_and that's Minerva's office; so her quarters should be behind her office_.' But there was nothing. '_Her quarters are not on the map at all. Is that possible?_' he wondered. '_Let's have a look at the dungeons_.' The Potions classroom was on the map as well as his office and the Slytherin common room, but neither the dormitories nor his own quarters were there, which brought him to an idea.

'_The twins said that Potter and his friends made the map. They didn't know where the teachers' private quarters were, and they only knew the Slytherin common room for some reason, nothing more. So that's why Gaoithe, Minerva and Aurora are not on the map. They're in Minerva's quarters_.' He let out a relieved sigh and relaxed for a moment, pondering what he had heard at the Burrow and how he should address the three topics, which he needed to discuss with Gaoithe.

After a while, he stepped into the fireplace and made his way to Minerva's quarters, only slightly surprised to find three cats curled up in front of the fireplace. He transformed into his lynx form and joined the cats, noticing that Gaoithe seemed to be fast asleep.

=I'm sorry that it took me so long,= he apologized, slightly inclining his head.

=May I ask what your errand was?= Minerva asked curiously.

The lynx let out a sigh and explained that he had to take Gaoithe's invitation to the Weasley twins, causing his two colleagues to throw him surprised looks.

=Now that's interesting, Severus. It's good to know that being a father makes you more communicative,= Minerva teased him, causing the lynx to let out a small growl.

=Minerva is right,= Aurora threw in, chuckling. =You've changed very much during the last six months, since Gaoithe became your familiar.=

=Was everything all right at the Burrow? You spent quite a time,= Minerva queried, carefully cleaning her front paws.

=I had a very interesting conversation with the twins,= Severus explained, looking at Harry.

=Severus, why don't you just leave Gaoithe sleep? We could all spend the night here if you think he'd be afraid if he wakes up all alone.=

=That's a brilliant idea,= the marmalade cat agreed. =Look, Gaoithe already knows that you're here.=

Severus smirked. The small black cat had indeed moved closer towards him and was nestling against his fur. =Very well then, I'll accept your offer, Minerva,= he replied, suddenly feeling tired as well due to the warmth of the fireplace, and curled up around his ward's small figure.

"That was fun," Harry said, smiling, as they walked through the dormant castle in order to refresh themselves in their quarters before breakfast.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Gaoithe," Severus replied, smirking, deciding to address at least one of the topics they needed to speak about before breakfast. He made the boy sit on his knee and gave him a stern look. "Mrs. Weasley told me that you brew the Animagus potion for the twins. When and where did you brew that potion?"

Harry threw his guardian a shocked glance, before he shyly averted his eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry, sir. I brewed it together with the twins in the Potions classroom, while you were in a staff meeting. I was very careful, sir, and the twins both helped. One of them prepared the ingredients, and the other was watching if I was doing everything correctly," he explained in a soft voice, taking the wind out of Severus' sails.

"Listen Gaoithe," Severus said finally. "I won't scold you, because I know that you as well as the twins know a lot about Potions and because I'm relieved that you were so careful. I'm also very proud that you managed to brew the potion flawlessly, son. However," he threw the child a stern look, "the brewing of potions is very dangerous, and since I love you and don't want you to get into a dangerous situation, I don't want you to brew potions again in my absence. Tell me if you want to brew something, and I'll be nearby in order to help you if necessary. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir, I'm sorry," Harry replied solemnly, before he asked in a small voice, "Excuse me, sir; may I ask something?"

"Of course you may ask whatever you wish," Severus replied, quirking an eyebrow.

"Is that the Marauders' Map?" Harry asked, pointing to the map that was still outspread on the table.

"Yes, it is," Severus replied quickly. "I need you to teach me the deactivating spell. The twins lent me the map until your birthday party."

"Ah all right; I wonder why it was here," Harry replied and taught Severus the incantations. "Did the twins tell you anything interesting by the way?"

Severus smirked. "Yes, they invented a potion that numbs the sense of taste and makes everything taste the same, like for example peas or... lemon drops."

Harry chuckled at the expression of disgust on his guardian's face. "Are you going to try it on the Headmaster, sir?" he queried innocently.

"Making everything taste like lemon drops would surely put him into a good mood," Severus replied, chuckling as well. "Very well; you may assist after breakfast." He sighed. "Gaoithe, would you like to have breakfast here in our kitchen or in the Great Hall?"

"Here," Harry replied immediately, and Severus called Cicero, who as usual brought so many different delicacies for them that Harry couldn't help laughing. '_This is more food than I received in a fortnight when I was at the Dursleys. Did Cicero think we had invited McGonagall and Sinistra for breakfast? I like them. They're really nice, and it was much fun to spend the night in front of the fireplace. I'm glad that Dad came to join us though._'

"Gaoithe," Severus pulled him out of his thoughts. "Don't forget to eat, child. If you don't mind talking while we eat, there is something else I wanted to speak about with you." Seeing that Harry threw him an anxious glance, he smirked. "No Gaoithe, you're not in trouble. "When you changed Mrs. Norris green, you didn't have a wand, but you cast the spell just by waving your hand, didn't you?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied in surprise. "I don't have a wand."

Severus nodded. "Exactly. This form of magic is called wandless magic, and only certain wizards are able to perform it, either children, who use it to cast accidental magic, or very powerful wizards, who are capable of doing wandless magic at will. Since in your case it was not accidental, I have to assume that you might have this special ability. However, in order to be sure, I'd like to do some tests."

"Okay," Harry said unsurely, throwing his guardian an anxious look.

Severus sighed. "Gaoithe, that's nothing bad. We only need to check the matter, because if you want to do wandless magic, you must be properly trained; otherwise, it can be dangerous at times, for you as well as for others. Now, on a lighter note, shall we go to the lab and brew the potion for the Headmaster?"

"In my human form? May I really assist?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Of course," Severus smirked. "If you were able to brew the Animagus potion, this one shouldn't be a problem for you."

During the next thirty minutes, they busied themselves in the lab, until a yellowish potion was simmering in the cauldron in front of them. Harry quickly bottled the liquid, and Severus asked Cicero to mix it into the Headmaster's meal at lunchtime, letting his house-elf in on the secret.

Apart from a small lunch break, the two wizards spent the whole day in the lab, brewing potions for the hospital wing. "As you probably know," Severus said casually, "tomorrow is the thirty-first of July, but since we decided to make the day after tomorrow your official birthday, Minerva, Aurora and I decided to make a short trip to the seaside tomorrow if you want. Aurora said something that her niece was going to come and probably join us as well."

"I'd love to go!" Harry replied in excitement, and Severus noticed amused that his emerald eyes were twinkling with joy.

"Very well then; are you ready to go to the Great Hall? It's already dinnertime."

Harry quickly transformed into his phoenix form and trilled, #Yes sir.#

Severus shook his head at his ward's antics, wondering in which form Harry was going to spend the following day. He sent Harry to bed early that evening and spent the next few hours in the potions lab.


	7. Chapter 7

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Harry blinked when his guardian's voice penetrated his sleepy mind. "It's midnight. Happy Birthday, Gaoithe!"

He lazily opened his eyes, noticing a huge strawberry cake, decorated with candles, '_probably ten_,' and a phial with a dark blue potion standing on his night table. '_A potion? But I'm not sick at all_,' he wondered, when Severus continued to speak.

"Gaoithe, you do not have to accept this. This is a blood-adoption potion, and these are the adoption parchments. Taking this potion would make you my real son. You'd probably look a bit more like me, and we could change your name to Gaoithe Snape if that's what you want."

"I'd like that," Harry replied softly. '_I'd love to have a real dad, and I don't want anyone to know who I am_.'

"Gaoithe," Severus said in a soft voice, sitting on the edge of the boy's bed, "let me warn you; this potion might hurt you, because your features, your limbs and everything might change. You do not have to do this; I'll always be your guardian and even your father if you want me to, even if you don't take the potion. I love you as you are, son."

"I want to do this, and I want to take it right away... Dad," Harry replied, smiling.

"Very well." Severus uncorked the phial and held it out for Harry, who quickly gulped down the dark blue liquid, too excited to linger on the unpleasant taste. "Lie down, and tell me if it hurts; I can give you a pain relieving potion," Severus instructed him as he took the phial back and placed another phial with a light green potion on the night table."

During the next few minutes, Harry felt extremely uncomfortable as his body stretched and caused his joints to hurt. However, it was soon over and he sat up again, looking at his adoptive father in excitement. "What do I look like?"

Severus chuckled and conjured a hand mirror, which he held in front of the boy's face, before he gently pushed Harry's fringe up to get a good look at his forehead. "That's what I feared," he sighed. "Your scar is still visible." He handed his new son the other phial, explaining, "I invented this potion for you; however, I'm of course not certain if it'll work, because I couldn't test it."

"I trust you, Dad. It will work," Harry said and downed the cool liquid.

"Yes, your scar is gone," Severus said contentedly. "We still need to observe your forehead and make sure that it doesn't reappear sometime. Now you really look like a son of mine, although I'm glad that you kept your mother's wonderful green eyes." With that he signed the adoption parchment, which rolled up and vanished into thin air.

"Now I'm really Gaoithe; that's too cool," Gaoithe said happily and leaned into his new father's embrace.

"Yes, it is," Severus agreed and gently pushed the boy pack into a lying position. "It's time to sleep now though. I suggest that we eat your birthday cake in the morning. Minerva, Poppy, Aurora and her niece Luna are going to join us here for breakfast, before we leave for the seaside."

"All right, Dad. Good night, and thank you," Gaoithe mumbled sleepily and closed his eyes. '_I hope Luna is nice; maybe she can change into a cat as well_,' was his last thought, before he succumbed to sleep.

風の力を持つハリー

"Gaoithe? Is that your real name? I've never heard of it, but I like it, and it fits you well," the blonde girl that was sitting next to Aurora on the sofa greeted Gaoithe when he took a seat between Poppy and Minerva on the opposite sofa.

"Good morning," he said sleepily, eyeing the girl with interest. '_She seems nice_,' Gaoithe thought, inwardly sighing in relief and tuning out the adult witches' exclamations about his new appearance.

"Gaoithe, are you not going to eat anything? This cake is very nice," Luna pulled him back to reality.

When everyone was finished with breakfast, Minerva produced an inflatable starfish out of her robe pocket, enlarged it to its original size and motioned for everyone to hold on, before she spoke the activating password and the small group was whisked away.

'_Uh, that was gross_,' Gaoithe thought as the movement finally stopped and he scrambled up from the ground, which to his surprise was covered with sand.

"Gaoithe, let's go and see if there are Brombylows in the sea," Luna shouted in apparent excitement and pulled Gaoithe with her towards the edge of the water.

Gaoithe stopped dead in his tracks as they reached the water. "Luna, can you swim?" he asked anxiously.

"Everyone can swim," Luna replied matter-of-factly, giving him a dreamy look. "You'll see. But you must beware of the Brombylows."

"Err... What are Brombylows? And no, I can't swim," Gaoithe replied hesitantly.

"Of course you can. Why don't you change into a fish or into a dolphin? Then you'll know that you can swim."

Gaoithe looked at the girl in shock. "Why do you know...?" He trailed off, staring into her silver-grey eyes.

"I just know," she replied, shrugging as she looked over the water. "Maybe we'll find the three-eyed booby pixie here. Let's go for a swim and have a look."

Gaoithe sighed in relief as Severus' voice pulled them out of their strange conversation. "Gaoithe, Luna, come back here please!"

"We have to walk a bit further down in this direction. There is a magical resort, where a part of the sea is secured and safe even for children to swim," Minerva explained, and the small group slowly walked through the sand.

Gaoithe kept close to his father, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the eccentric girl's company. A few minutes later, they had reached the resort, and while Minerva transfigured his clothes into swimming trunks, Poppy cast a spell on him to prevent the sun from burning his skin.

Finally, Severus suggested, "Gaoithe, do you want me to teach you how to swim?"

"I'd love that," Gaoithe replied, unobtrusively glancing at the girl, who was engrossed in a conversation with her aunt. He quickly followed his father to the edge of the water.

By the early afternoon, Gaoithe could swim, and he was very tempted to change into a dolphin like Luna had suggested. '_But if I swim out a bit and have any problems, no one can help me, because they can't change into fish_,' he thought.

"Gaoithe, is everything all right?" Poppy suddenly asked in concern. "You seem to be very absentminded."

Gaoithe sighed and decided to share his thoughts with the adults.

"If you remain within the area of the resort, it's all right, Gaoithe," Severus said soothingly.

"Okay," Gaoithe replied and stepped into the shallow water, before he transformed into a dolphin, realising that it was much fun to swim as a dolphin. Only several hours later, he remembered the others, who were probably waiting for him on the beach. He hurriedly returned to the shore and changed back into his human form, realising that everyone was looking at him with amusement.

"I take it you had much fun in your dolphin form," his father said dryly, causing Gaoithe to nod eagerly.

"It was so cool," he replied happily. "It's much more fun than to swim in my human form."

"Nevertheless, it's nearly dinnertime, and we should return to Hogwarts," Severus informed him softly.

"Oh," Gaoithe said in disappointment.

"We'll come back here some time," Minerva promised, "and then I'll ask you to take me for a ride. I'd love to rest on your back in my cat form."

Everyone chuckled at the impression as they grabbed the inflatable starfish for their travel back to Hogwarts, where they arrived just in time for dinner in the Great Hall. '_I wonder if Cicero has already given Dumbledore the prank potion_,' Gaoithe mused as he entered the Great Hall, realising that it was a strange feeling to attend dinner in his human form for the first time.

Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, Severus observed him proudly, thinking that his son was just making a big step forward on the way to overcome the Dursleys' abuse, before he introduced him to the few teachers, who hadn't known that his familiar was Harry Potter, as Gaoithe Snape.

風の力を持つハリー

Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore, who had been clearly enjoying the first few bites of his meal, cleared his throat and spoke up. "Does this food taste strange, or is it only my imagination? Everything tastes like lemon drops."

Gaoithe had to try hard not to chuckle, when Minerva asked in concern, "Are you feeling all right, Albus?" and reached over to the Headmaster, who was sitting next to her, to feel his forehead.

"I'm fine, Minerva. It's just..."

"Ah but Albus, why not see it from the good side. You like lemon drops, don't you?" Professor Flitwick said pleasantly, causing Dumbledore to agree and decide to enjoy his food.

Gaoithe once more nearly blurted out laughing, when Luna said in her high, clear voice, "I like lemon drops. They make me think of the early morning sun rays flooding a huge field of lemon trees in the morning breeze."

Somehow, Gaoithe was glad when dinner was over, and as soon as everyone rose from their seats, he transformed into his phoenix form and made himself comfortable on Severus' shoulder. '_This is still the most comfortable place in the world_,' he thought as he lazily began to clean his feathers.

#This was a wonderful day. Thank you, Severus,# he trilled softly when they walked down to the dungeons.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Gaoithe. By the way, do you feel up to brewing a little prank potion for your twin friends?"

Gaoithe, who had been on the verge of letting out a huge yawn, quickly stopped himself and said excitedly, #Of course. I'd love to prank the twins. Do you have an idea?#

Severus smirked. "Of course; I'm not a Potions Master for nothing. However, it'll be much more fun if you don't know what the effects will be. You can still assist me."

Father and son spent a little more than an hour in the potions lab, and as much as Gaoithe tried to guess what the effects of the potion were they were brewing, he couldn't figure it out. Nevertheless, he enjoyed himself, until Severus bottled the potion and sent him to bed.

風の力を持つハリー

The twins arrived punctually for a late breakfast.

"Wow, Gaoithe..." the exclaimed, staring at their younger friend in amazement, "you look really cool!"

"Thank you," Gaoithe chuckled and happily accepted the present that emerged as a small assortment of phials and drops.

"Be careful..." George warned him.

"... they're all prank potions. Better not use them on your father or Professor McGonagall." Fred handed him a small parchment. "Here is the explanation about what is in each thing."

Gaoithe chuckled in anticipation of the fun he'd have when the twins ingested the prank potion they had brewed for them. '_It's probably in the food_,' he thought and ushered his friends into the small kitchen, before he called his father. However, after breakfast, the twins were still their usual cheeky selves, and when Gaoithe threw Severus a questioning look, the Potions Master merely smirked mischievously.

After breakfast, the three friends headed out to the grounds, so that Gaoithe could try out the broom he had received from his father along with a Snitch the Headmaster had given him when he came to pay him a short visit in the morning. '_I need to thank Fawkes for advising the Headmaster to give me a Snitch_,' Gaoithe mused. '_Catching the Snitch is so much fun_.'

After two hours of flying, they landed on the grounds, and Gaoithe looked at his new watch that his father had given him in addition to the broom. "We still have one hour until we're supposed to be in the Great Hall to eat my birthday cake." He groaned in annoyance at the thought of being the centre of attention. "Why don't we go and prank Mrs. Norris?"

"Let's do that," George agreed immediately.

"Wow, that's a cool watch," his twin brother said, still looking at the watch.

Gaoithe nodded. "I love it." The upper half had a dark blue background and was displaying the time, while the lower half with a green back showed where Severus was. Several places like 'Potions classroom', 'Office', 'Great Hall', 'Staff room', 'Other place at Hogwarts', 'Home' and 'Outside Hogwarts' were on the watch, and a small arrow pointed to Severus' whereabouts. '_Severus is in his office, probably preparing his lesson plans_,' Gaoithe thought. '_I wonder what happened to the prank potion for Fred and George_.'

"All right then, let's go and have some fun," the twins said, grinning mischievously.

And fun they had. Gaoithe in his phoenix form flashed the twins to where he could sense Mrs. Norris in an unused corridor. They quickly hid in an alcove, and the twins transformed into their parrot forms, causing Gaoithe to observe them in fascination. #Wow,# he breathed, before he flashed just around the corner, where he changed into a cat and made cat sounds that immediately caused Mrs. Norris to follow the sounds. While the neon green cat followed the sounds of the strange cat that kept leading her further into the unused, dusty corridors, Gaoithe finally flashed back to the twins and changed into a Grey parrot, before three Grey parrots finally appeared above Mrs. Norris, laughing at the confused cat with cackling sounds.

'Gaoithe, it's time to come to the Great Hall,' Gaoithe suddenly heard his father's voice in his head, and the three mischief makers hurriedly made their way to the Great Hall. To Gaoithe's surprise, the Hall was decorated with hundreds of colourful balloons, and all the teachers that were currently staying at Hogwarts, were gathered around the Head table. There were two smaller tables to both sides of the larger table. One of them was full of colourful presents, while the other seemed as if it was on the verge of collapsing under an enormous cake in the form of Hogwarts.

'_This is so embarrassing_,' Gaoithe thought and felt extremely tempted to transform into his phoenix form and enjoy bits of the cake from his father's shoulder or his arm. However, the thought of the twins, who had only travelled to Hogwarts for his birthday, made him refrain from doing so, and Gaoithe quietly took the seat between Severus and Fred at the table.

The Headmaster made the cake float right in front of Gaoithe, and with a flick of Minerva's wand, ten candles lit on top of the towers and roofs of the castle, and everyone sang the birthday song for Gaoithe.

"Go Gaoithe, go," the twins shouted simultaneously, and Gaoithe threw them a questioning look.

'You have to blow out the candles,' his father informed him silently, causing the birthday boy to hesitantly try blowing at the candles to no avail.

Seeing everyone look at him in expectation, he quickly changed into his phoenix from and flashed straight to the opposite side of the cake, causing the small whirl wind that accompanied him to extinguish the candles.

"Well, that was extraordinary," Severus commented him dryly, while everyone else laughed in disbelief and Gaoithe flashed back behind his seat and quickly changed back.

"Lemon meringue," the Headmaster said pleasantly; "the Transfiguration classroom tastes extremely well."

"I believe the part you're just eating is your office, Albus," Minerva, who had distributed the cake, corrected him gently, "and it's not lemon meringue but strawberry cheesecake."

Gaoithe glanced at the strawberries that were decorating the delicious cake and chuckled. "What is it that I'm eating?" he suddenly remembered to ask.

"The toilets in front of the Gryffindor common room," the twins replied in a simultaneous singsong.

"No, sweetie; I gave you my office," Minerva said soothingly.

When everyone was finished eating, Severus suggested, "Shall the four of us go and brew a potion? You can still open your presents later on."

"I'd love that," Gaoithe replied eagerly, glancing at the twins.

"Oh Professor, you're the best..."

"... because we'd love to learn..."

"... a new prank potion," the twins finished together, causing the whole table to erupt in laughter.

'_They're singing! That's too cool! That's what the potion did_,' Gaoithe thought in excitement, resolving to make the twins talk as much as possible during the rest of the afternoon.

"Who was the evil person..."

"... by the way..."

"... who made us sing?"

"Weasley and Weasley, you better stop that annoying singsong in my presence," Severus said dryly, and everyone laughed even more as they realised that the mischievous twins obviously succumbed to a prank by the Potions Master.

"I wasn't aware that we had so musical students, Albus. Perhaps we should invent a new subject '_Music_' at Hogwarts," Minerva suggested with an innocent expression on her face, knowing how many students in her House had been victims to the twins' pranks during their first Hogwarts year.

Gaoithe was still chuckling when they arrived in the Potions classroom, while Severus and the twins were discussing the potion they were going to brew, before the twins had to return home. "Weasley and Weasley, if you ever tell anyone of this, you'll be in detention for the whole school year, and I'll take more points off Gryffindor than you'll be able to earn until your NEWTs," the Potions Master said sternly as he set up three cauldrons.

Severus taught Gaoithe and the twins to brew a simple Healing potion, which could be used as the base of several harmless prank potions, and an hour later, the twins happily took the Floo home, eagerly discussing in their involuntary singsong which potion to use on their family first.

"Dad, that prank was hilarious," Gaoithe said, giggling, as they walked back to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I'm glad you liked it," Severus replied dryly. "Now, are you up to being the centre of attention again?"

Gaoithe's face fell, and he stopped walking. "Oh no, can I go as Gaoithe?"

Severus slowly turned around to face his son, before he replied in a soft voice, "Gaoithe, of course you may do as you wish, especially as it's your birthday. However, I'm sure that everyone will be disappointed, because they're happy to have you here. You also need to unwrap your presents, considering that they were all so kind as to give you one."

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. "That's true. All right then, I'll stay in my human form."

"Whenever the attention becomes too much for you, you may change," Severus said reassuringly, nodding to himself in relief, thinking that Gaoithe was making an enormous progress.

To Gaoithe's relief, dinner was very quiet and peaceful. However, just when Gaoithe slowly began to relax, thinking that they were soon able to return to their quarters, the Headmaster turned to him.

"Gaoithe, I'm considering buying my computer before the end of the holidays. Have you, by chance, read anything interesting about computers recently?"

Gaoithe stared at the old wizard in shock. He had completely forgotten about the matter. "I'm sorry, Professor. I have nearly finished your magazine; however, there were so many other things..."

"I'm sorry, Albus. I kept my son busy recently," Severus jumped in on the conversation, noticing that Gaoithe seemed to be unsure and was slowly trailing off. "I was thinking of taking him to The Ink Pot tomorrow morning. We'll buy some books that might give Gaoithe certain background knowledge." 'Is that all right with you, son?' he thought to the boy, who returned an unobtrusive nod.

"Very well," Dumbledore said contentedly. "You're still interested in helping me with the research, aren't you, my boy?"

"Yes of course," Gaoithe replied quickly.

"But for now, leave Gaoithe in peace and let him enjoy the rest of his birthday," Minerva spoke up firmly and led Gaoithe to the table with the presents.

With many kind hands helping him, it still took Gaoithe twenty minutes to open all his presents. He received many books, '_Transfiguration for Beginners'_, '_Useful and Funny Charms_', '_An Introduction to Wizarding Astronomy_', '_Magical Beasts and How to Cook them_' and many more.

"Magical beasts and how to cook them?" Gaoithe asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, Gaoithe. You don't really cook them; it's just an explanatory book about magical animals and which parts of them can be used; for example, your father would use basilisk eggs or skin for potions," Hagrid explained readily.

"Wow, that's interesting. Thank you very much," Gaoithe said happily, glancing at the last present. It was an envelope.

"Go on, open it; it's from me," Dumbledore spoke up gently.

It was a voucher for The Ink Pot over ten Galleons. "Wow," Gaoithe said in amazement. "Thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore. I can't wait for my father to take me there tomorrow."

"Ten Galleons are about fifty British pounds; but I thought The Ink Pot was a Muggle bookshop," Aurora said in surprise. "Is it possible to pay in Galleons?"

"Yes it is," Severus explained, "because the owner is a Squib, and he fully supports the magical world. He accepts both, magical and Muggle money."

"That sounds interesting," Aurora replied. "One day I'd love you to take me there, although I can understand that you prefer to be alone with your son when you go there for the first time together."

Severus slightly inclined his head in appreciation for her understanding and turned back to Gaoithe, who had been skimming the book he had received from Hagrid and was just transforming into his phoenix form.

#Dad,# Gaoithe trilled in excitement. #I just had a good idea. If you need ingredients from basilisks or something like that, I could just change into the animal you need, so you can get the ingredients.#

Severus chuckled. 'With unicorn hair that might work, but with basilisk skin I'm not sure, because I can imagine that your skin would be young and not coming off if you don't remain in the basilisk form for several months, and I doubt that you'll be able to produce basilisk eggs.'

#Oh, that's true,# Gaoithe replied, feeling somehow stupid.

"Don't worry, son. It's still a brilliant idea, and I'm sure it'll come useful some time," Severus said for everyone to hear this time, before he added, "Well, I believe that it's time for us to return to our quarters. Good night, everyone, and thank you for such a wonderful party for my son."

Gaoithe quickly added a happy trill, which Severus eloquently translated as "Thank you for everything."

風の力を持つハリー

When Severus came out of his room in the morning, Gaoithe was already waiting on his perch, impatiently stepping from one foot onto the other and back.

#Can we go?# he trilled in excitement, causing Severus to throw him a surprised look.

"Where?" he asked sleepily, quirking an eyebrow, before realisation set in. "We didn't even have breakfast yet, and the bookshop won't open before ten o'clock anyway. It's only seven."

Gaoithe let out a disappointed, #Oh,# and began to meticulously clean his feathers, making Severus chuckle at the bird's antics.

"I suppose changing into your human form and taking a shower might be faster and more efficient," he said dryly as he took a seat at the table and engrossed himself in the Daily Prophet, muttering to himself every now and then.

Gaoithe giggled as the words, "silencing that stupid bitch" penetrated his ears.

"What?" Severus looked up from the newspaper, rolling his eyes. "Oh tell me that you didn't listen to what I said about Ms. Skeeter."

#Hm? Oh no, I wasn't listening. Are we going to go now?# Gaoithe asked innocently.

Severus rolled his eyes and cast a permanent tempus charm at the ceiling right in front of Gaoithe's perch for the bird to read, before he replied, "No, it's much too early, and we need to have breakfast. Come down and change back please."

Gaoithe obeyed and did his best to not drive Severus completely crazy, before they finally left Hogwarts two hours later.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe flashed them outside the Leaky Cauldron, and Severus led his son around the corner to The Ink Pot. Gaoithe loved the shop immediately. Although it was not small inside, it was very cosy and, what was best of course, it was full with books wherever he looked. Suddenly, he noticed a closed door that was lacking any sign in contrary to the few other doors that were closed and equipped with signs like 'Private' or 'Emergency Exit'. However, before he could ask Severus where the door led, a high girl's voice could be heard.

"Mum, where does the door over there lead?"

"There is no door, sweetie," the mother replied in apparent surprise.

"Of course there is a door, and it's different from all the other doors," the girl insisted.

"Are you delirious, sweetie?" the mother replied, apparently getting worried as she felt her daughter's forehead in concern. "She doesn't have a fever," she told what seemed to be the father of the child.

"I'm fine, and I want to see what's behind that door," the girl shouted, excitedly jumping up and down with both feet.

'_Her parents are strange_,' Gaoithe mused. '_Of course there is a door_.'

"Gaoithe, are you coming?" Severus suddenly called him from the other side of the room. "The computer related books are here."

"I can see the door as well," Gaoithe quickly whispered to the girl, not sure if she had been able to hear him or not, and hurried to his father's side. "Dad, where does the door over there lead?" he asked and quickly told Severus about the scene he had just witnessed.

Severus sighed. "Gaoithe, you mustn't talk about this here in a loud voice, but that door leads to the magical part of the bookshop. However, only magical people, wizards, witches and Squibs, are able to see it. To Muggles it just looks like plain wall."

"Oh, so the daughter must be a witch, and the parents are Muggles? Wow, shouldn't we tell the girl? Maybe she doesn't even know she's a witch. I didn't know until the cat professor told me."

Severus cleared his throat. "If she is indeed a witch, she'll receive her Hogwarts letter when she turns eleven, and then she'll know, right in time to get ready for Hogwarts."

"Ah, but..."

"No buts," Severus said sternly. "You can't tell people here in the middle of the Muggle world that their daughter is a witch. What if they made a huge ruckus about it by denying it and reporting us to the Muggle police because of it? The wizarding world's number one rule is to keep the magical world a secret from the Muggles."

"All right; I understand," Gaoithe said sadly, feeling very sorry for the girl.

Even when they returned to Hogwarts with a huge pile of interesting looking books, he still couldn't shake off the thought that they should have spoken to the girl, and suddenly, an idea pushed itself to the front of his mind. '_I can flash myself to people_,' he remembered. '_I'll try if I'm able to flash me to her some time when Severus is in a staff meeting or somewhere, and then I'll tell her everything just like the cat professor helped me_.'

However, during the next few weeks, Gaoithe was very busy. He assisted Severus in the potions lab to brew an infinite amount of potions for the hospital wing, he engrossed himself in his study about computers, and he spent time with the Headmaster informing him about everything he had learned from the books on a daily basis.

It was only a few days before the beginning of the new school year that the first staff meeting took place, and Gaoithe accepted the news with excitement.

"Are you all right on your own?" Severus asked, before he left his quarters.

"Of course, Dad," Gaoithe laughed. "I could change into my phoenix form and visit Fawkes."

Severus groaned inwardly at the thought of the mischief the two birds were able to do in the empty castle but nodded to his son. "Try to not get yourself into too much trouble," he slightly admonished him in a soft voice.

"I will, or do you prefer that I brew something nice?" Gaoithe couldn't help teasing his father, hoping to distract him from the fact that he was so clearly excited to have some time on his own.

"You little rascal," Severus said fondly, gently ruffling his son's hair, before he stepped into the empty corridor.

'_It's now or never_,' Gaoithe thought and concentrated on the memory of the girl he had met at The Ink Pot earlier that month. With a slightly anxious feeling, he flashed away, feverishly thinking that he wanted to visit the girl.


	8. Chapter 8

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Gaoithe arrived in what seemed to be a huge hall with white walls and many paintings and other items displayed on the walls and on small side tables. He curiously glanced around, wondering why he had arrived there, before he noticed that the girl he wanted to visit was standing in a corner of the room, deeply engrossed in what seemed to be an antique book that was displayed on a small table. Gaoithe curiously jumped onto the edge of the table to get a good look at the girl. Suddenly, the girl looked at him and let out a small shout at Gaoithe's sight.

"I'm seeing things," she blurted out in obvious shock.

Gaoithe quickly jumped down onto the floor and transformed into his human form, shyly stepping back to the table. "Hello," he said in a small voice. "Do you remember me? We met at the bookshop a few weeks ago."

"Yes, of course I remember you," the girl replied eagerly. "I'm so glad to meet you again. I wanted to talk to you ever since we met there. You told me you could see the door as well. Do you know where it leads? I don't understand why my parents denied and still deny that there was a door. We often..." She interrupted herself to catch her breath.

"Your parents probably can't see the door, only you can," Gaoithe quickly threw in softly, "because you're a witch."

"I'm not a bitch," the girl said indignantly.

"Of course not a bitch; a witch," Gaoithe corrected her softly.

"I'm sorry; a witch?" the girl asked incredulously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, and I'm a wizard, but you mustn't tell anyone, not even your parents. Where are we here, by the way?"

The girl chuckled. "We're in the British Museum," she explained excitedly. "Look at this book. It's from mediaeval times and it shows..." Gaoithe palled as he suddenly heard footsteps coming near and the girl interrupted herself.

"Hermione, are you coming?" he heard a voice call.

"Yes Mum." The girl turned to Gaoithe. "I'm sorry, I must go. Can you come to me wherever I am in your bird form, or was it by chance that we met today? I'd love to see you again soon."

"I can. I'll try to visit you wherever you are tomorrow or the day after," Gaoithe promised, knowing that his father would surely have more staff meetings during the following days, and hurriedly walked around the corner into the next room in order to unobtrusively transform into his phoenix form and flash home. However, he discovered more books and other items that looked as if they were from the Middle Ages, so that he spent quite a while looking around with interest, before he finally returned home.

'_She seems very nice. It was a pity that we couldn't talk longer_,' he mused as he made himself comfortable on the sofa with the computer book he was just reading, glad that his father hadn't returned in the meantime. '_I hope they'll have at least one more staff meeting_,' he thought, noticing that he had felt much more comfortable in Hermione's presence than in Luna's.

Unfortunately, Gaoithe wasn't able to visit Hermione soon again, because his father discovered just before the last staff meeting before the Welcoming Feast that Gaoithe had caught a cold and took him to the hospital wing, where Poppy gave him a potion and kept him for observation, from which he had no way to escape to pay his new friend a visit. As much as he asked and begged and even cried in desperation, the Mediwitch wouldn't let him go.

風の力を持つハリー

During the weekend that lay between the Welcoming Feast and the first day of classes, Severus' godson Draco came to visit Severus and Gaoithe.

"Gaoithe, Draco is very spoiled and he comes from a family, for which their pureblood status is very important. Just so you know why in case he behaves unexpectedly," Severus warned his son, who threw him a hesitant look.

"Severus, may I change into my phoenix form?" he asked anxiously.

"I wouldn't do that," Severus replied thoughtfully. "Don't you think it would be strange if Draco got to know you as a phoenix, and then all of a sudden, I introduce you as my son?"

"That's true," Gaoithe had to admit and decided to retire to his room with a book from the series '_The Five Magical Friends'_. He had received the first book of the series from Aurora for his birthday and had devoured the book, and after hearing this, the other teachers had provided him with more volumes of the series. He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't even hear the fireplace flare and Draco arrive.

"Gaoithe, please you come out here for a moment?" Severus finally called him, and Gaoithe hesitantly stepped into the living room, seeing a blond boy standing next to Severus.

"Hello," he said shyly.

The other boy returned a surprised greeting, and Severus quickly introduced, "Draco, this is my son Gaoithe. Gaoithe, this is Draco, my godson."

"Your son?" Draco asked with an expression of surprise and shock on his face.

"Yes Draco, Gaoithe is my son. He is of the same age as you, and I hope that you're going to become good friends, since you'll attend Hogwarts together from the next school year onwards," Severus replied firmly.

Draco seemed to quickly make up his mind, since he extended a hand and asked, "Friends?"

"I'd love to be friends," Gaoithe replied softly, taking the other boy's hand.

"Do you like flying?" Draco queried, glancing at Severus.

"I love to fly, and I love to catch the Snitch," Gaoithe said in excitement. "Dad, may we go flying for a while?"

As much as Gaoithe had been hesitant to meet Draco, as much fun he had flying together with the other boy. They spent hours flying and trying to catch Gaoithe's Snitch, and both boys noticed in awe that both of them could fly just as well as the other. Only in catching the Snitch Gaoithe was a bit better.

Later on, the two boys played wizard's chess, even if Gaoithe couldn't play well yet, because Severus had only recently begun to teach him how to play.

"Check mate," Draco just said for the fifth time, when Severus came over and instructed them to wash their hands and get ready for dinner.

"Oh Dad, do we have to attend dinner?" Gaoithe asked quietly, causing Draco to throw him a surprised look.

"Gaoithe is not used to being in the Great Hall together with so many students," Severus explained. "Last night when the students arrived, he was stuck in the hospital wing, and before the summer holidays, he always attended the meals in his Animagus form."

"You're an Animagus?" Draco asked in shock.

Gaoithe nodded and quickly transformed in his phoenix form. #Dad, may I go in my phoenix form?#

Severus sighed, glancing from Gaoithe to Draco, before he said softly, "Gaoithe, I believe that it would be nice for the two of you to attend dinner together. Why don't you sit together with your friends?"

"May we sit with the Weasley twins?" Gaoithe asked in excitement after quickly changing back and, seeing his father nod, told Draco, "The twins are absolute amazing. They think of the most interesting pranks. Let's have dinner together with them."

"Weasley?" Draco mouthed, glancing at Severus, who calmingly laid his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Just follow Gaoithe, and you'll be all right," he said soothingly.

"Does he really intend to sit with Gryffindors?" Draco asked, horrified, causing Gaoithe to chuckle.

"You won't regret it," he replied, chuckling in anticipation. He had already been very disappointed when Madam Pomfrey didn't allow him to attend the Welcoming Feast, and no one, not even Draco would be able to prevent him from sitting together with his friends, now that he had his father's permission.

Draco grudgingly followed Gaoithe to the Gryffindor table, taking the seat next to him with an expression of pure disgust on his face.

"Thank you," Gaoithe said to the twins, who had gently made space for him and Draco between them. "This is my father's godson, Draco, and these are Fred and George, my friends," he quickly introduced everyone.

"Hello Draco," the twins said simultaneously, before they turned to Gaoithe in excitement.

"Do you feel up..."

"... to play a prank..."

"... on the whole school?"

"We invented a wonderful potion..."

"... to prank everyone..."

"Life at Hogwarts seems to be more fun than I expected," Draco blurted out. "Can we go and play the prank after dinner?"

"Of course; we only waited for Gaoithe to play the prank," the twins replied, chuckling.

風の力を持つハリー

The twins, Gaoithe and Draco left dinner a bit earlier, and the twins asked Gaoithe to change into his phoenix form and flash them near the entrance to the Gryffindor common room to a spot, where the portraits couldn't see them. Gaoithe complied and George handed him a small phial.

"We need it back when we're in our parrot forms. Gaoithe, you can join us, but Draco, you have to watch from here if you're not an Animagus," George said, before he and Fred transformed into their parrot forms.

Gaoithe quickly uncorked the phial and handed it to one of the parrots. "I'm going to remain here with Draco," he said softly, and the two boys curiously watched the twins' doing.

"Do you know what they're going to do?" Draco asked curiously, causing Gaoithe to shake his head.

"No, I don't know, but their pranks are always great fun."

The twins carefully poured the liquid out of the phial right in front of the portrait hole, before they returned to Gaoithe and Draco, and the four boys observed how within minutes a whole wall of some kind of plant grew on the spot where they had spread the potion.

"Excuse me," Draco whispered bewildered, "what is that?"

The twins chuckled. "That's Billygoat weed. The teachers are going to have a lot of fun trying to get rid of it. Now, let's do the same with the other common rooms. We need to hurry up a bit."

During the following ten minutes, the four friends quickly flashed to Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and finally Slytherin. The twins poured their potion in front of all the entrances to the common rooms, but only in the dungeons they once more took the time to watch the billygoat weed grow.

'_Oh oh, Dad will be so angry_,' Gaoithe mused as they observed from a hidden alcove how the first students arrived and stopped dead in their tracks in front of the green wall. "We better get away from here, before my Dad gets suspicious," he said and quickly transformed, flashing the twins to an alcove near the entrance hall, before he flashed straight into his own room together with Draco.

"Thank Merlin Dad isn't home yet," he said, sighing in relief as they hesitantly stepped into the living room.

"Oh, I wouldn't want Uncle Severus to get angry at us," Draco agreed immediately. "Shall we play another round of wizard's chess to pretend nothing happened?"

Gaoithe agreed, chuckling, and when Severus returned home a few minutes later, the two boys were innocently playing together.

"Is everything all right?" Severus queried. "You left dinner very early."

Gaoithe chuckled with an innocent expression on his face. "We wanted to prank Mrs. Norris, but we couldn't find her."

"Who is Mrs. Norris?" Draco asked in surprise.

"The caretaker's cat, and she's an absolute git," Gaoithe replied in disgust. "We've already pranked her several times."

At that instant, the fireplace flared and Minerva's face appeared in the flames. "Severus, could you please come and help me? The entrance to the Gryffindor common room is blocked."

"I'll be there in a second," Severus replied, glancing at the boys in suspect. "You didn't do anything, did you?" he asked sternly.

"No Dad, we didn't do anything," Gaoithe reassured him, truthfully. '_We only watched_,' he thought, looking at Draco in relief when Severus refrained from asking more questions.

Severus was just about to step into the fireplace, when all of a sudden, the Headmaster's voice sounded through the school. "All students come to the Great Hall; all teachers to the entrance hall please!"

Gaoithe flashed Severus and Draco to the Great Hall, where everyone was sitting at the House tables drinking cocoa. "But we just had dinner," Gaoithe said, feigning surprise.

"I'll go and listen to what the Headmaster says. Stay here, please," Severus replied and strode out of the hall.

"Hey Gaoithe," Fred shouted over to him, "go and sit on your father's shoulder, so you can inform us what happened later on. Draco, sit here with us."

Draco hesitantly complied, and Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form and flashed straight onto his father's shoulder.

"Gaoithe, did I not tell you to stay in the Great Hall with Draco and everyone else?" Severus lightly scolded him, causing Gaoithe to feverishly search his brain for a believable response.

#Well, I thought you might need me to flash you somewhere quickly,# he finally trilled. #Draco is all right. The twins will take care of him.#

Severus couldn't help laughing at the thought. "The Weasley twins are taking care of Draco Malfoy? I must make sure to let his father hear that, although I'm afraid Draco won't ever be allowed to visit me again."

Minerva snorted. "Oh well, I look forward to having a Malfoy sorted into Slytherin next year," she said dryly.

Severus rolled his eyes, and Gaoithe just opened his beak to trill a reply, when the Headmaster began to speak and informed his colleagues that the entrances to all four common rooms were blocked by walls of plant.

"Plant?" Aurora asked incredulously. "Shouldn't we be able to get rid of that by '_Incendio_' or '_Scourgify_'?"

Minerva let out a snort. "Don't you think I'd have done that if it was possible?"

"All four common rooms? Slytherin as well?" Severus asked in disbelief, before he reminded himself that Poppy had kept him back in the Great Hall and he had only returned to his quarters right before the Headmaster had summoned them.

"Apparently yes. Well, let's head to Ravenclaw and see what we can do about it," Dumbledore decided, and the teachers made their way to Ravenclaw tower.

Gaoithe observed them cast spell over spell and wondered if the twins knew a solution to the problem, which they had caused. It was nearly midnight when he slowly drifted off to sleep on his father's shoulder, nestled deep into the silky black curtain, and the teachers were still trying to get rid of the billygoat weed.

When Gaoithe woke up, he found himself back on his perch at home. '_How did I end up here?_' he mused, afraid that he had missed something interesting. He hesitantly flew down to the floor and transformed into his human form, before he left the living room in search for his father.

Severus was in the lab, brewing a potion. "Professor Sprout found out that the walls were made from billygoat weed, and I know that there is a potion that should work to get rid of it," he explained. "Care to help me prepare these?" He pointed to a few ingredients that were laid out on the working table.

"Of course," Gaoithe replied and set to work.

It was nearly breakfast time when Gaoithe flashed Severus to the four billygoat weed walls, and Severus poured his potion on the floor under the walls, causing them to shrink and finally vanish into thin air within a couple of minutes.

Draco and Gaoithe spent the rest of the day chuckling about the event and planning more possible pranks for their time as students at Hogwarts. Before Draco took the Floo home in the evening, Severus promised to speak with Draco's father and ask if Draco could come back to visit him and Gaoithe again during the winter holidays.

風の力を持つハリー

From the beginning of the new school year onwards, Gaoithe mostly joined his father in the Potions classroom during class time. Depending on what potion the students had to brew, Severus and he decided if he should brew as well or occupy himself otherwise. Whenever he had time, he continued with his study about computers and met with the Headmaster every now and then when he had discovered something, of which he thought it might help them with their research.

A few times, Gaoithe also followed Minerva and attended her first year classes; however, the Transfiguration professor told him gently that she wouldn't recommend for him to attend any other classes except for Potions, because he would be very bored next year when he was going to attend the same classes again.

"That's true," Gaoithe replied sadly. "I didn't think about that."

"I thought so," Minerva said softly. "As much as I'd love to have you in my classes, I don't want you to become bored next year. However, there is something else, for which I could use your assistance."

"Of course," Gaoithe replied in excitement. "What is it?"

"Every year," Minerva explained gently, "the four Heads of House take turns visiting the Muggle born children, who are going to turn eleven, on their birthday and hand over their Hogwarts letter and talk to them and their parents. Most of them don't even know that they're witches or wizards. This year," she sighed, "it is my turn to visit all the new students..."

"Wow. Would you have come to see me on my birthday next year then?" Gaoithe asked in excitement.

"Hmm," Minerva thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, Gaoithe, because you are not listed as Muggle born. Your parents were magical, and the book of all magical children doesn't offer any information about a child's upbringing, only about the magical status of its parents. I'm sorry, sweetie, and I'm glad we already have you here. Would you perhaps like to accompany me and speak a few words to the children, who will be your classmates next year? You probably know best how it is to suddenly become aware of being a wizard."

"I'd love to accompany you," Gaoithe replied eagerly. "When are we going to begin meeting them?"

Minerva laughed at the excited boy. "The nineteenth of September is the first birthday we have this year."

"Oh, that's next week. Cool. Thank you for taking me with you, Mineva."

"I'm glad you're going to join me. Let me warn you though. These visits are not always fun. Some parents absolutely detest us when we tell them that their child is magical."

"I believe that," Gaoithe replied sadly, remembering what Severus had told him at The Ink Pot.

風の力を持つハリー

On the nineteenth of September, Minerva and Gaoithe met right after dinner to visit the first of the new Muggle born students. "All right then, Gaoithe, are you ready? We'll walk down to Hogsmeade and then do side along Apparition. We still have a few minutes, because I made an appointment with the Grangers at eight o' clock..."

"Um.... excuse me, Minerva, but how did you make an appointment?" Gaoithe asked curiously.

"I always go to Hogsmeade beforehand. They have a Muggle telephone booth in the post office," Minerva informed him gently. "By the way, the girl's name is Hermione."

"Hermione!" Gaoithe blurted out, and Minerva observed in surprise how a huge smile appeared on his face. "May I quickly flash home and fetch something?" he asked urgently.

"Of course," Minerva replied astonished, carefully arranging her hair back into the firm bun she used to wear after Gaoithe had left causing a huge whirlwind.

Instants later, Gaoithe returned with one of his books of '_The Five Magical Friends'_ series. He showed the book to Minerva. "I'd like to give this to Hermione. I think she likes books."

"Gaoithe, do you know Hermione?" Minerva queried, giving the excited boy a sharp look.

"Um... Yes, we met her at The Ink Pot," Gaoithe hesitantly explained.

"Ah all right then, shall we go?"

Together, they walked down to Hogsmeade, before Minerva apparated them to a small side street. "It must be here around the corner," she said and led Gaoithe to a relatively large house in a Muggle area. Gaoithe hesitantly hid behind the professor's robe as Minerva rang the door bell.

After mere seconds, Mrs. Granger opened the door. "Good evening, Professor McGonagall. Hermione couldn't wait to see you. Oh, I see you brought a student with you. Good evening."

"This is Gaoithe Snape, the adoptive son of my colleague. I brought him, because he is of the same age as Hermione and will be in the same class, if Hermione decides to attend Hogwarts from the next school year onwards."

Hermione enthusiastically greeted Minerva, before she stepped aside and saw Gaoithe.

"You!" she exclaimed in surprise that was instantly replaced by a pout. "Where have you been? You promised to come to visit me after you came to see me in the British Museum as a bird! I've been waiting for ages!"

Mrs. Granger eyed her daughter in concern. "I'm sorry," she apologized to Minerva, before she asked, "Hermione are you feeling all right?"

At the same time, Gaoithe couldn't help blushing terribly. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a small voice. "I was sick at that time and they wouldn't let me go, and since the beginning of the new school year I didn't have a chance." He quickly handed Hermione the book. "Here, for you. This is one of my favourite story books," he said softly. "I'm Gaoithe, by the way."

"Thank you," Hermione said gratefully, happily reaching out for the book. "It's a magical book. Wow, that's too cool."

The adults observed the children's behaviour in surprise. Minerva was the first to find words. "Gaoithe, does Hermione already know...?"

"Yes, I told her when we met," Gaoithe admitted in a small voice.

"Very well, then I suggest that the children go and leave us for a moment, so that I can explain everything to you," Minerva suggested gently, turning to the Grangers.

"Right, Hermione, why don't you take Gaoithe to your room for a while?" Mr. Granger instructed his daughter.

A small pout appeared on Hermione's face, but it vanished after an instant, and the girl pulled Gaoithe upstairs to her room in excitement. She motioned for him to sit on the chair by her desk, while she made herself comfortable on her bed and demanded, "Now, tell me everything. You're a wizard and I'm a witch? So can you do strange things too? Oh right, you can," she corrected herself, before Gaoithe had even a chance to reply. "You were a bird the other time. Why are you here with the Professor though? Who are you?"

Gaoithe sighed in relief as the girl paused for a moment, and he quickly threw in, "As I said, I am Gaoithe. I live at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Professor McGonagall is a teacher there. All magical children are supposed to attend Hogwarts from when they turn eleven. So the Professor came to tell you and your parents that you're a witch and invite you to attend Hogwarts from next year onwards. She only brought me, because I'll be a first year as well next year, and I've only known that I'm a wizard for about two years."

"Where is Hogwarts? And what do you learn there? Do we..."

"Wait. Hermione, not so fast please. Ask me one question at a time, okay?"

"Oh sorry," Hermione replied in a small voice, before she continued to ask, "Why are you living at Hogwarts?"

Gaoithe sighed. "I live at Hogwarts, because Professor Snape, the Potions professor is my adoptive father. Hogwarts is a boarding school, and... um... I'm not exactly sure where it is though." He feverishly searched his mind. "Oh right, I think it is in Scotland."

Hermione scoffed. "How many hours does it take from London by train? If it's Scotland, it should at least take six hours or something like that."

Gaoithe hesitantly averted his eyes to the floor. '_I'm so stupid. Why did I come here with the cat professor? I can't really answer any of her questions_.' "I don't know, because we use magical transportation methods all the time. We apparate, or I flash us when I transform into my phoenix form."

"Wow, that's cool," Hermione looked at him in amazement. "Can you show me? Can you change into your phoenix form?"

Gaoithe quickly transformed and let out a happy trill. With a small whirl of wind, he flashed to the other side of the room, before he changed back.

"That is absolutely brilliant," Hermione beamed. "Will I learn how to change into an animal at Hogwarts?"

"Err... I think so, but as far as I know only the older students learn that. I can only do it because I'm what they call a natural Animagus. Can you keep a secret?"

"I swear," Hermione replied sincerely.

"I can change into any animal I want, but I don't want anyone to know, because that's not normal. Only my father and the cat professor know."

"Do you have a cat as a professor?" Hermione asked curiously, causing Gaoithe to slap his head at his own stupidity.

"Oh no, sorry. I only call Professor McGonagall that because she is a cat Animagus."

"Ah, all right. Now tell me, what subjects do you have at Hogwarts?"

"Potions, Transfiguration, Charms..."

"Hermione!" they suddenly heard Mr. Granger call his daughter. "Come please. The professor wants to leave!"

"To leave?" Hermione mouthed, terrified. "Oh no..."

Without even waiting for Gaoithe, Hermione stormed downstairs, shouting, "No, don't let her leave yet. I have so many questions left."

When Gaoithe followed her into the sitting room, he noticed that Minerva was not on the verge of leaving. The adults were sitting in comfortable looking chairs, talking animatedly.

Mr. Granger smirked. "Well, I just thought that was the quickest way to get you down here."

"Ms. Granger, your parents have approved that you attend Hogwarts from next year onwards, if that is what you wish," Minerva said gently. "Do you have any questions?"

"Oh yes, many," Hermione replied and began to ask as much as she could ask without taking a breath, causing everyone to laugh.

Minerva and Gaoithe spent several hours answering Hermione's questions, and it was nearly midnight when they finally returned to Hogwarts. Gaoithe promised Hermione to write to her, so that she could use the same school owl to write back. He also offered to accompany the Grangers when they wanted to go shopping at Diagon Alley to show them where the entrance was, since he had already been there a few times after accompanying his father to The Ink Pot.

"I see you already became friends with Hermione," Minerva said, smiling when they walked back to the school from the Apparition point. "She seems to be a very nice girl. But when did you go to the British Museum?"

Gaoithe sighed uncomfortably. "Minerva, could you please keep this to yourself?" he asked in a small voice and hesitantly explained how he had wanted to tell Hermione that she was a witch just like Minerva had told him a few years ago.

"You must be more careful, Gaoithe. You can't just flash into places like a museum, where many people can see you, and transform in front of the people," Minerva scolded him lightly. "If you ever plan such a stunt again, please come to me and inform me beforehand."

"All right, Minerva. Will you please not tell Severus?" Gaoithe pleaded in a small voice.

"I won't tell him if you promise to be more careful."

"Thank you," Gaoithe said relieved.


	9. Chapter 9

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

When Gaoithe woke up in the morning, the sun rays streaming in from the charmed window alerted him to the fact that he had overslept. A glance at the charmed _Tempus_ display at the wall next to his pillow showed him that it was eleven o'clock. '_Oh no; how could I sleep in so late_,' he groaned inwardly, when a well-known voice made him become even more annoyed.

#Good morning, lazybones. Get up; it's nearly lunchtime.#

"Hi Fawkes," Gaoithe replied, sighing in anticipation of whatever Fawkes had planned.

#You're making yourself rare, nestling, much too rare,# Fawkes trilled accusingly. #I believe it's time for a good prank. We haven't played one in ages.#

"Are you sure?" Gaoithe chuckled, raising an eyebrow in a very Snape-ish manner.

#Oh no, don't tell me you were involved in that great one! And you didn't invite me to participate? Never forget that I'm an old, experienced prankster.#

Gaoithe chuckled. "I'm sorry; everything happened so quickly that I didn't have a chance to call you. Now, tell me what have you planned now?"

#Hmm, maybe I should keep it to myself,# Fawkes huffed, causing Gaoithe to roll his eyes at the phoenix's antics.

"Very well then, let me get up and get ready in peace," Gaoithe replied, knowing that Fawkes was nearly bursting to share his plans with him.

#Ah, you're just mean. I need you for my fantastic new prank. You don't have to get ready. Just transform into your nestling form and we'll be ready. We don't have much time.#

Gaoithe sighed and transformed. #Now, what is it you want me to do?#

Fawkes chuckled. #It's nearly lunchtime, and I want to play a prank on the whole school,# he began to explain, just when Severus entered the room.

"Good morning. Gaoithe, are you finally awake? That's good; I was getting worried," he said to his son, torn between amusement of seeing that he was together with his phoenix friend and a tad of concern about what the two phoenixes might do together.

#I'm fine, Dad. Sorry for worrying you. Is it all right to go for a flight with Fawkes until lunchtime?#

"If you don't get yourself into trouble," Severus replied, raising an eyebrow.

#I won't,# Gaoithe promised, resolving to tell Fawkes to play his prank by himself.

#Let's go,# Fawkes trilled in excitement, causing Gaoithe to sigh.

#I'm sorry, Fawkes, but I really shouldn't get into trouble now,# he replied hesitantly, fluffing his feathers in anticipation to his friend's reaction.

#Oh please help me, nestling. I need you to be there for the prank. You don't have to do anything,# Fawkes said, throwing him a pleading look.

#You heard my father, and I really don't want to get into trouble. Oh well, what is it?# Gaoithe asked, realising that Fawkes wouldn't easily relent.

#It's a spell that Godric Gryffindor once played on the whole school, and it was much fun. Let's flash to the entrance hall. We don't have much time.#

Gaoithe obediently flashed and transformed back into his human form according to Fawkes' request. The phoenix called Tony, and the small elf appeared in the blink of an eye.

#Tony, I need you to cast a spell for us,# Fawkes informed him and asked him to wave his hand over the entrance doors to the Great Hall and told him an incantation to speak.

As Tony complied, Gaoithe asked suspiciously, "Fawkes, what does this spell do, and why did the spell have my name in it?"

#That was the Fidelius Charm, and you're the Secret Keeper,# Fawkes informed him, chuckling. #It means that no one can find the entrance doors and thus enter the Great Hall, except for those, whom you tell where the entrance is. The poor students will have to take their lunch elsewhere I'm afraid. Thank you, Gaoithe. That will be a lot of fun, especially as the teachers will be able to get into the Hall from the back entrance, which the students don't know.#

"Oh my," Gaoithe groaned in annoyance as Tony popped away quickly. "Fawkes, we better get away from here quickly. Otherwise, I'll be in so much trouble."

#Ah, but we can hide in an alcove and watch,# Fawkes objected, and Gaoithe changed back into his phoenix form, hiding in the two mischief makers' favourite alcove.

Soon, the last morning class was over, and the first students began to head towards the Great Hall; however, everyone stopped dead in their tracks in the entrance hall, frantically searching for the entrance to the Great Hall. '_Oh no, Dad!_' Gaoithe groaned inwardly, seeing his father step up the stairs from the dungeons. #Fawkes, I'm going to fly for a while. Will you come with me?# he whispered and quickly flashed out onto the grounds.

The two birds flew over the lake for a while, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, when all of a sudden Severus' voice penetrated Gaoithe's mind. 'Gaoithe, wherever you are, come to my office please.'

'_Oh no_,' Gaoithe realised at the stern request, '_he knows_.' #Fawkes, I have to flash home. I'm in trouble,# he quickly informed his friend and flashed away. Unfortunately, in his panic about how angry his father might be, he didn't concentrate enough and managed to land on a shelf with potion phials, unintentionally kicking several phials from the shelf upon his arrival.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe flew down to the ground in shock, noticing in relief that none of the phials were broken. Apparently, his father had cast an unbreakable charm on them. #Dad, I'm sorry,# he trilled quickly, glancing at Severus, who quietly gathered the phials and replaced them on the shelf.

"It's all right, son. Fortunately, I have the habit of using safety precautions for the phials I store in my office or the classroom," Severus replied, smirking. "Now, take a seat. There is something I need to discuss with you," he continued in a very business-like tone.

#Do I need to transform back?# Gaoithe asked cautiously, making himself comfortable on the back of the chair in front of his father's desk.

'_I need to be very careful_,' Severus mused. '_He just finally became used to feeling comfortable spending the time in his human form. If I make him transform now in order to scold him, he might have a huge relapse_.' He cleared his throat, before he replied in an even voice, "No Gaoithe. As long as you remain in a form, in which we're able to communicate, I don't mind."

#Thank you,# Gaoithe trilled, feeling strangely relieved to be allowed to remain in his phoenix form for what was sure to be a dressing down for the prank Fawkes had played on the students.

Severus let out a long sigh and slowly brought his index fingers up to his face to massage his temples in a faint attempt to get rid of the building headache. "Gaoithe," he began slowly, "three weeks ago, I didn't say anything, although it was obvious to me that you, Draco and the twins left dinner early, and no one else was missing dinner, who could have played the prank with the billygoat weed. However," he sighed again, "as much as I can imagine that it is funny to prank the whole school, I do not wish my son to be involved in every prank that is being played at Hogwarts."

#I'm sorry,# Gaoithe blurted out, horrified, anxiously fluffing his feathers, while his thoughts went haywire.

"I believe that you're sorry, Gaoithe, and I know that none of the pranks were your idea. However, this was a bit too much in a too short time. It was bad enough for the students that they couldn't return to their dormitories the other night, but today, they came from their last morning class, probably hungry and thirsty, and couldn't enter the Great Hall. As much as I'm impressed by the prank, I don't think that it was much fun for anyone." He shot Gaoithe a sharp look. "I assume that someone cast the Fidelius charm on the entrance doors to the Great Hall?"

#Yes sir,# Gaoithe replied in a hardly audible voice. #Fawkes ordered Tony to cast it.#

"With you as the Secret Keeper I assume?" Severus queried, unconsciously playing with a cork that had mysteriously found its way into his robe pocket.

#Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir.#

"Tony!" Severus called the elf, who appeared immediately, glancing anxiously from Severus to Gaoithe. "Please accompany me to the Great Hall to reverse the charm you cast on the entrance doors," the Potions Master instructed him sternly.

"I am sorry, Master Severus, but Tony is not knowing the incantation, sir," Tony replied, horrified.

"I will teach you the incantation," Severus said in a much softer voice. "Gaoithe, can you flash us please?"

Ten minutes later, the charm was cancelled, and Severus and Gaoithe were back in the Potions Master's office.

#I'm so sorry,# Gaoithe began to sob. #Will you tell Professor Dumbledore that I was involved in the pranks?#

"I won't tell the Headmaster," Severus replied thoughtfully, "and there is no need to waste your valuable phoenix tears on this. However, I believe you will understand that I still have to punish you, so that you remember not to play a prank the next time." He raised an eyebrow at the phoenix, who anxiously fluffed his feathers and averted his eyes to the floor. Severus sighed. '_I really don't want to punish Gaoithe_,' he thought, '_especially as at least these last two pranks were not his fault. However, I want him to stop playing pranks before he becomes a student and really gets into trouble_.' He finally summoned a headache potion from the shelf and turned the phial in his hands as he said thoughtfully, "During the following week beginning on Monday, you will serve detention in the evening with the four Heads of House and Madam Pomfrey. Instead of me, Professor Sinistra will supervise one of your detentions. I shall fix the schedule with my colleagues later today and inform you. Right after dinner in the Great Hall, you will approach the teachers and follow them for your detention. During class time, you will stay in the Potions classroom; however, you will not brew anything but merely watch the students brew."

#Yes sir,# Gaoithe trilled in a subdued voice. #I'm sorry sir.#

"Now Gaoithe," Severus continued in a much softer voice, "are you up to joining me in the potions lab for a while? I need to brew a healing salve for the hospital wing, and I thought that you could perhaps brew a birthday present for Professor McGonagall. Her birthday is in two weeks' time."

#I'd love to do so, but what could I brew for her?# Gaoithe asked uncertainly, still feeling bad about having disappointed his adoptive father.

"How about an assortment of ginger nuts with different types of chocolates like in our _every flavoured lemon drops_?" Severus suggested, raising an eyebrow at the phoenix that thoughtfully stretched his legs and wings.

Gaoithe jumped down onto the floor and slightly hesitantly turned back into his human form. He quickly walked around the desk and stepped next to his father, laying both arms around the man's middle.

Severus realised in surprise that Gaoithe pulled him into a light hug. '_He must be really shocked about the punishment_,' he thought, horrified, and gently pulled his son close. "I love you, Gaoithe," he whispered, carefully pushing a few errand strands of hair from the boy's face.

"Love you too, Dad," Gaoithe replied, and Severus observed how very slowly a small smile appeared on his face, replacing his former, apprehensive expression.

風の力を持つハリー

Father and son spent the whole afternoon in the potions lab, until they had to head to the Great Hall for dinner. "Dad, do I have to attend dinner?" Gaoithe asked hesitantly as he diligently cleaned his work space.

"Yes," Severus replied shortly, throwing the boy a sharp look.

"May I go in my phoenix form?"

"No."

Noticing that Gaoithe still was not his usual cheery self when they approached the entrance hall, Severus stopped and turned around to face his son. "Gaoithe, relax. No one knows about the matter."

"But you will tell all your colleagues, won't you? I have to serve detention with them," Gaoithe replied in a barely audible voice, causing Severus to sigh inwardly.

"Gaoithe, I won't speak about the matter during dinner. I will tell them later on in private, and I will insist that the Headmaster punishes Fawkes adequately. You may sit at one of the House tables and enjoy yourself."

Gaoithe grudgingly agreed. "You won't tell them that it was the twins, who played the other prank, will you?" he suddenly remembered to ask.

"Of course not," Severus promised. '_Thank God he doesn't know that I did a similar thing to the boys' washrooms in Gryffindor twenty years ago, asking Cicero to spread wing wood seed_,' he remembered, smirking at the thought that no one ever found out who had been responsible for the prank.

"What is so funny, sir?" Gaoithe asked quietly when they entered the Great Hall, causing Severus to smirk again.

"Oh, I just decided what the twins' next detention will be," Severus lied and lightly patted Gaoithe's shoulder. "Now join the dunderheads and eat your dinner. I'll be watching you."

Much later, when he was in bed and Severus tucked him in, Gaoithe queried in a small voice, "Dad, will you tell me what you were planning for the twins' next detention?"

Severus smirked. "I'm going to make them clean spider legs as potions ingredients," he replied dryly and pulled Gaoithe's covers up to his chin. "Good night, son. Sleep well."

"Night Dad," Gaoithe mumbled and tiredly closed his eyes.

Severus brushed a kiss on the boy's forehead, observing how a small smile played on Gaoithe's lips as he drifted off to sleep. He quietly nox-ed the light and returned to his office, glaring at the pile of parchments that were waiting for him. He had just reached for his red quill, when someone hesitantly knocked at the door. It was the Weasley twins. '_Well, speaking of the devil..._' he thought, throwing the twins a menacing glare. "What are you doing here after curfew?" he queried.

"We're sorry, Professor..."

"... it's about Gaoithe, sir..." the twins began their usual, most annoying form of dialogue.

Inwardly sighing in annoyance since he was tired and still had to grade tests, Severus motioned the twins to take a seat and tried to remain patient at their antics.

"He told us that he was assigned detention..."

"... because of playing pranks with us and with Fawkes..."

"But he didn't even do anything..."

"... When we played the prank with the billyweed..."

"We only asked him to flash us, nothing more..."

"It was us, sir," they finished together. "And today, he told us that he tried to refuse but Fawkes insisted that he participated."

"I know that," Severus replied patiently. "However, I want him to comprehend that he will be punished for playing pranks, and believe me if I heard that he was actively involved in a prank, his punishment would be much harsher. Well, seeing that you're so concerned about Gaoithe's welfare, I suggest that you serve the first evening of detention together with him. It will take place on Monday evening and will be with Madam Pomfrey."

Seeing that the twins were throwing him terrified looks, he drawled, "Messrs, you can deem yourselves very lucky that I won't inform your Head of House who managed to fool the entire school for a whole night the other day. Otherwise, your punishment would be much more severe and probably even involve your mother. Good night and get back to your common room, before I have to take House points." After the twins fled from his office, he added quietly, "Ten points each to Gryffindor for standing up for Gaoithe."

風の力を持つハリー

On Monday evening after dinner, Gaoithe and the two second years slowly made their way towards the hospital wing.

"Poor Gaoithe..."

".... not even a student yet..."

"... and already having to serve detention," the twins sighed.

"We already had detention with Pomfrey last year, and she made us clean bedpans the whole evening," George informed Gaoithe.

"Oh well, at least we're together. I have no idea why Dad assigned you detention, but I'm glad he did," the smaller boy replied in a small voice.

"He did because of the prank with the billyweed..."

"... but he didn't even take House points..."

"... on the contrary, he gave us twenty points..."

"That's at least what McGonagall told us when she came and asked why."

"And why was it?" Gaoithe asked curiously, when he entered the hospital wing behind the twins, expecting to see the floor full of dirty bedpans.

However, the Mediwitch stepped in front of them, smirking. "Three students; that's good. I have just the right thing for you to do tonight."

The three boys exchanged a worried look and with a feeling of foreboding stood in front of the bed right next to the office, where the Healer motioned for them to wait. Mere seconds later, Pomfrey returned from her office with a life size dummy. "Most of your teachers do not know even the simplest diagnostic or healing spells," she informed them. "Therefore, I'm always glad if I have students willing to learn a few easy diagnostic spells. Since you haven't taken your OWLs yet, I am not allowed to teach you any healing spells; therefore, we'll try a few diagnostic spells. Nevertheless, you must not cast them on any person without a reason. Do you understand me?" Seeing the three boys nod, she pointed her wand at the dummy's head and said the incantation, "Temperaturam revelo," causing green numbers to emerge from the tip of her wand. "With this spell you can take a temperature. "It isn't as easy as it looks; so you'll need to practise for a while."

The twins eagerly pulled their wands, causing Gaoithe to back up a bit. '_I don't have a wand_,' he thought, remembering what his father had told him about wandless magic earlier. '_In front of Poppy and the twins it should be all right though_.'

Unaware of his predicament, Madam Pomfrey instructed them to begin practising. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and if you manage to get a somewhat accurate result for the dummy's temperature, I can show you the easiest diagnostic spell as well."

The three boys began to practise the spell, realising that it seemed to be difficult indeed. Gaoithe tried to cast the spell by pointing his hand at the dummy's head, ignoring the twins' gasp; however, it took him more than a dozen tries, until he managed to make numbers appear at all. For the twins, the spell had worked after only a few tries; however, none of the displayed numbers seemed to be accurate as they all differed each time they cast the spell.

"Gaoithe!" Poppy suddenly exclaimed as she returned from her office, only now realising that he didn't have a wand. "I'm sorry; I completely forgot that you don't have a wand yet."

"Why would Gaoithe need a wand?" the twins laughed as he once again pointed his hand at the dummy.

"Gaoithe, does your father know that you're capable of doing wandless magic?"

"Yes, he knows, but he said I shouldn't tell anyone," Gaoithe replied in a small voice. "I can't get a proper result though. Each time it's different.

The Mediwitch smirked. "Well, I told you that it's difficult and affords some practice. Look at the twins. According to them the dummy must be dead, either with a too low or too high temperature. Now, do you want to try a diagnostic spell?"

Pomfrey made the three boys practise for two hours, before she suggested, "You may come back to practise whenever you want; however, I think it's enough for tonight. Why don't you sit in my office and have a cup of cocoa?" With that she ushered them into her office, where Misty, her personal house-elf, had provided cocoa and biscuits for the three boys.

Gaoithe and the twins profusely thanked the Mediwitch and spent the rest of the evening until curfew talking, joking and drinking cocoa in the Healer's office. '_Detentions can be fun_,' Gaoithe mused as he flashed back home. '_I hope my other detentions will be as much fun as this one. A pity that the twins won't be with me_.'

However, when Gaoithe had breakfast in the Great Hall in the morning, sitting next to the twins at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George told him that they had to serve detention together with him for the rest of the week.

"Why? I thought Dad had only given you detention for last night," Gaoithe replied in surprise.

The twins chuckled and George explained in a small voice, "On our way back from our detention last night, we met McGonagall, and we thought she'd be the right object to practise the spells Pomfrey taught us. Unfortunately, she didn't take it too well when Fred got the result that she had Alzheimer's."

"Your display of her temperature, barely above the freezing point, wasn't much better," Fred replied, laughing. "Anyway, she told us we had to join you for your detentions for the rest of the week."

'_Wow, that's absolutely cool_,' Gaoithe thought, throwing the twins a sympathetic look. "Dad told me I had to serve detention in the greenhouses tonight."

風の力を持つハリー

When the three boys entered the greenhouse after dinner, they were surprised when loud Riverdance music greeted them.

Gaoithe apprehensively followed the twins through the greenhouse.

"Music?" The twins threw him a disbelieving look. "Are you sure that we have detention here tonight?"

"My father said so. Did you ever serve detention with Professor Sprout before?" he whispered apprehensively, causing the twins to chuckle.

"Yes..."

"... once," they replied, grinning.

"Because we exchanged some plants with others..."

"... that gave our poor classmates green pustules..."

"... which we didn't know of course," they replied with innocent expressions that made Gaoithe roll his eyes. "We had to re-pot plants the whole evening. It was very boring, and the plants were disgusting."

The professor was busying herself with a few plants; however, upon seeing the three boys, she greeted them and handed them pink ear muffs.

"Please put these on; I want you to help me with the mandrakes. This year, they're having a bad year and just don't want to grow. Therefore, we need to take the smallest plants out and make them dance to strengthen them." Confirming that the boys were wearing their ear muffs, she waved her wand at one of the plants that looked like a small clown and made it dance to an old fashioned waltz that was playing on a charmed gramophone.

'_That sounds like great fun_,' Gaoithe thought and carefully waved his hand at a small mandrake. It took him several attempts, before the plant finally obeyed and danced together with those of the professor and the twins and rocked back and forth to the rhythm of the Riverdance.

"After ten minutes, we give them a rest and take a different plant," the professor explained. "Please be careful to completely cover the roots with earth when you re-pot them."

The mandrakes were standing in a line, tap-dancing to their hearts' content to the Celtic rhythm. After laughing for all they were worth, the twins decided to take it a step further and unobtrusively exchanged grins, before Michael Jackson's Thriller blasted from the gramophone and soon the mandrakes were dancing around like zombies.

Finally, Professor Sprout decided that it was enough and released the three boys, who were talking animatedly. "That was great fun. I think I love detentions," Gaoithe said on their way back to the entrance hall.

"Well, I don't think we're going to have much fun with Professor McGonagall, whenever we have to serve detention with her," the twins replied simultaneously, causing Gaoithe to throw them an uncertain look.

"I think she was a bit harsh to give you four days of detention just because of practising to cast a diagnostic spell on her," he said softly.

"Um... well, we cast the spell in front of a whole group of first years, when we met her on our way to the common room last night," George said, snickering at the memory. "She seemed to be very angry. We can be glad that she didn't assign us detention with Filch or your father."

"My Dad conjured a small dummy for me and allowed me to practise for a while, but I didn't manage to cast either spell properly," Gaoithe admitted, before he separated from the twins and walked home, eager to tell Severus how he loved detentions. '_I wonder what the cat professor is going to make us do. I heard that Dad makes students clean dirty cauldrons, but even that's not so bad. What can be worse in the Transfiguration classroom?_' he mused as he hesitantly entered Severus' private lab.

風の力を持つハリー

"You love detentions?" Severus asked in surprise. "That will at least help you through the rest of the week. Well, tomorrow evening you will serve detention with Professor Sinistra. Do you know where her classroom is?"

"Yes Dad, she invited me for tea when she had a free period after lunch the other day, and she showed me all of her models of planets," Gaoithe replied, sighing. '_Maybe detention with her will be a bit boring_,' he thought to himself, '_although I like the professor_.'

"Now, I believe it's time for you to go to bed," Severus said gently, observing Gaoithe rub his eyes.

"All right. Good night, Dad," Gaoithe replied immediately, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. "Are you sure that you don't want me to help?"

"I'm sure. This is going to be finished in thirteen minutes, and by then I expect you to be in bed."

Gaoithe hurriedly left the lab, only to stop dead in his tracks as he saw Fawkes sitting on his perch, helping himself to some of the phoenix treats Cicero had left for him in case Gaoithe wanted to spend some time in his phoenix form.

"Hello Fawkes," Gaoithe said in surprise, unintentionally startling the phoenix.

#Hi Gaoithe; I'm sorry for getting you into trouble,# Fawkes trilled with an expression that didn't show much regret. #The old grumpy one instructed the house-elves not to give me any more of my favourite phoenix treats until Christmas; so I hope you don't mind I took a few of yours.#

"Of course not; no problem," Gaoithe said quickly.

#He also forbade Tony to help me with any pranks,# Fawkes continued, #and unfortunately, the bond between Tony and the old grumpy one is older and stronger than the one between Tony and me, so that he'll have to listen to him.#

"I'm sorry to hear that," Gaoithe replied. "I'm not allowed to play any pranks either, and I have detention for the whole week."

#Oh well, I'll have to ask the twins then. You said they were parrots Animagi, didn't you? In that case, we should be able to communicate.#

"That's cool. I think we'll be in for a lot of fun then," Gaoithe replied with a strange feeling of foreboding. "Good night, Fawkes. I have to be in bed when my father finishes his potion in ten minutes, so I better get ready."

#Good night, nestling. I better leave too, before he catches me here and tells my familiar that I ate your treats. Thanks by the way; they were delicious.#

"You're welcome," Gaoithe said, chuckling as he retired to his room.

風の力を持つハリー

On the following evening, Gaoithe and the Weasley twins slowly made their way to the Astronomy classroom. The teacher was resting in her cat form in front of the fireplace, causing the twins to look around curiously.

"No one here," George stated contentedly.

"Um... Do you see the marmalade cat in front of the fireplace?" Gaoithe whispered. "That's the professor." He quickly changed into his cat form and sat next to the professor. =Good evening, Professor. We came here for our detention.=

=Detention? Oh right, there was something,= Aurora replied thoughtfully. =I completely forgot about it. Normally, I don't supervise detentions, but I agreed to it when your father asked me last week. Ah, and that is what Minerva meant when she told me that the twins would accompany you tonight. Oh well, let's see... First of all, we need to transform back,= she said and slowly changed back into her human form.

'_Sometimes, she seems a bit off, just like her strange niece; although I still like both of them_,' Gaoithe thought, before he transformed back as well.

"Good evening, boys," Aurora greeted the twins.

"Good evening, Professor," the twins replied, looking at the professor in expectation.

"Please polish Jupiter including the moons without magic and memorise them," Professor Sinistra said thoughtfully, causing Gaoithe and the twins to groan inwardly as they confirmed that they had understood and set to work.

Seeing that the professor took a seat at her desk, George whispered, "Does any of you know a cleansing spell? Since Gaoithe doesn't need a wand to cast spells, she won't know if he uses magic."

"I have no idea of such spells," Fred replied thoughtfully. "What is it that Mum whispers all the time when she's cleaning our rooms?"

"I don't know, but cleaning Jupiter and the moons doesn't seem to be so much work," Gaoithe replied matter-of-factly, causing the twins to let out simultaneous snorts.

"Do you know how many moons Jupiter has? Sixty-two!"

"Oops. Oh well then, let's get to work." '_Right; she told me that when she showed me her planets_,' he faintly recalled, wondering what could be so interesting about them.

The three friends quietly worked for nearly two hours, talking and joking while they polished the moons that weren't very dirty anyway. Gaoithe was just polishing the sixty-second moon when another tiny moon popped into existence. '_Professor Sinistra and her stupid self-updating Jupiter model_,' he thought to himself, glancing at the twins, who came nearer, looking at the new moon with interest.

"Well, it's new and not dirty anyway," Fred said matter-of-factly, chuckling at Gaoithe's annoyed expression. "Professor, we're done cleaning," he called out to the teacher, who came and inspected their work.

"Well done, boys. Now go on and memorise them."

"All sixty-three?" George asked in horror.

"Sixty-two," the professor corrected him. "Yes please."

"No, number sixty-three just arrived a few minutes ago," Fred informed her, pointing to the new moon.

"Oh, they must be working overtime again at the observatory in Hawaii," the professor replied, inspecting the newest addition to the model with interest.

Gaoithe and the twins grudgingly sat down on the floor under the model and began to read the names of each of the moons, trying to memorise them. When the professor returned to her desk, Fred began to whisper. "Gaoithe, can you cast sleeping spells at us please?"

"I don't know. What's the incantation?" Gaoithe replied uncertainly, "and won't she know that I cast a spell?"

"No, it'll look as if we had fallen asleep," George replied reassuringly, "and the incantation is '_Somnus naturalis'_. I'm not exactly sure about the wand movement though."

"Oh well, I'll try," Gaoithe whispered and began to try casting the spell at Fred.

Twenty minutes later, Fred finally succumbed to the spell, causing Gaoithe and George to sigh in relief. "All right; now I probably know how I have to do it," Gaoithe whispered and waved his hand at George, causing him to fall asleep as well. '_I wonder if this works on myself too_,' Gaoithe thought, trying to wave his hand at his own body in vain. '_Oh well, I'm tired enough anyway_,' he decided and lay down between the twins. The extreme efforts of casting wandless magic over nearly half an hour had made him so exhausted that he drifted off to sleep in the blink of an eye.

When Gaoithe's mind turned back to awareness, he heard his father's voice and that of Aurora. He lazily opened his eyes, still feeling extremely tired.

"Thank Merlin, Gaoithe; you gave us quite a fright," Severus said softly. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes, of course; I'm just tired," Gaoithe mumbled sleepily, barely noticing that Severus scooped him up onto his arms.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I have no idea what made the children so tired," Aurora said worriedly. "I merely made them clean the Jupiter model without magic. At least I was able to easily wake up the twins, and they were awake enough to return to Gryffindor on their own, but I don't know what's wrong with Gaoithe."

"I'll ask Gaoithe in the morning, but I'm sure it's not your fault," Severus replied in a soft voice. "Good night, Aurora." With his son on his arms, he strode back to the dungeons, resolving to cast a few diagnostic spells on his son.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe woke up, his father was sitting on the edge of his bed, reading a Potions journal. To his surprise, the rays of what seemed to be the late afternoon sun streamed into the room through the charmed window. '_Oh no; how long did I sleep?_' he thought as he sat up.

"Hi Dad," Gaoithe mumbled sleepily, wondering why Severus was watching him sleep.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," Severus replied, raising an eyebrow at the child. "Congratulations. You managed to sleep eighteen hours straight. The last afternoon class is just over."

"What?" Gaoithe asked in shock, causing Severus to smirk.

"Your detention with Professor Sinistra must have been extremely exhausting. Can you tell me what happened that caused you to deplete your magic in the way you did, while you were supposed to clean the Jupiter model without magic?"

"We didn't use magic on the model," Gaoithe replied quickly and hesitantly told his father about the sleeping spell. "Please don't be angry at the twins," he added in a soft voice. "I didn't feel up to memorise sixty-three names of Jupiter moons either."

"I understand," Severus replied firmly. "Nevertheless, you have depleted your magic, which can be very dangerous. It can cause you to become very ill and can even lead to the complete loss of your magic. Wandless magic affords a lot of magic, especially for someone as young as you are. If you don't manage to cast a spell after a few tries, you need to take a break before you try again. I believe Madam Pomfrey already told you so the other day, when you were in detention in the hospital wing. She was not very pleased when I asked her to check on you to confirm my diagnostics earlier."

"Yes, she told me that," Gaoithe admitted in a small voice. "I'm sorry, sir. I completely forgot about it."

Severus let out a long sigh. "Please be more careful the next time," he said sternly, "and you must not do any magic for the rest of the week. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Gaoithe replied miserably.

"Now, if you feel well enough, you may get up for dinner and for your detention with Professor McGonagall. However, if you feel unwell or get a headache, which might be possible because the Pepperup potion and the headache potion Madam Pomfrey spelled into your system are going to wear off sooner or later, you must tell Professor McGonagall and come home. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Gaoithe replied, feeling his stomach churn at his father's stern voice and the thought of having detention with the cat professor so soon. When Severus stood and left the room, he dragged himself out of bed and quickly took a shower, hoping that the hot water would help him to become more alert.


	10. Chapter 10

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

After dinner, Gaoithe anxiously followed Fred and George to the Gryffindor tower. "What is detention with Professor McGonagall like?" he asked the twins, who told them that they had no idea, because the Scottish lioness rarely supervised any detentions herself.

"Normally, she sends people to serve detention with Filch," Fred explained.

"Yeah; I've never heard of anyone serving detention with her," George agreed and hesitantly knocked at the door to the professor's office.

They didn't have to wait long, before McGonagall let them in and motioned for them to take seats around her desk. The professor laid three piles of parchments in front of them and handed each of them a quill. "Please answer these questions as precisely as possible. You have one hour."

Gaoithe looked at the first parchment in shock. It held seemingly random questions about the magical world that were written in very accurate handwriting. '_Is that a test? Do I have to know all these things even before becoming a student here?_' he thought, terrified.

"Mr. Snape, are you feeling all right?" McGonagall suddenly asked, giving him a sharp look.

"Yes Professor," Gaoithe replied in a small voice.

"Then you better set to work," the teacher said sternly. "You have fifty minutes left."

"Excuse me, Professor, is this a test?" George suddenly asked.

McGonagall sighed. "No. These are questions, which I received from a Muggle born girl, who is going to become a first year next summer. Gaoithe and I visited her the other day, and when I invited her to visit us here for Gaoithe's detention tonight, apparently she had nothing better to do than to send back this pile with questions. She is going to arrive with a Portkey at half past seven, which is in forty minutes."

"Hermione is going to come here tonight?" Gaoithe asked in disbelief, and his expression turned into a huge smile at the professor's nod. "She is a friend of mine," he told the twins, before he turned back to the questions and tried to answer as many as he could, unaware of the fact that the twins were whispering to each other.

By the time Hermione recovered from the experience of her first Portkey travel, Professor McGonagall seemed to be alone in the office. However, as soon as Hermione had greeted the professor, she blurted out, "Wow, these parrots are wonderful. I didn't know that people in the magical world were keeping parrots as pets."

McGonagall gave her a sharp look, before she asked crisply, "Parrots?"

"Yes, I know that the bird in the middle is Gaoithe," Hermione replied in surprise, pointing to the three birds that were occupying the back of a seat at the professor's desk. "Hello Gaoithe. I'm so happy to see you again, and I have so many questions to ask you. I've read in '_Hogwarts: A History_' that ghosts, dwarfs and giants are teaching at Hogwarts. Is that true and...?"

McGonagall efficiently interrupted her tirade by instructing Gaoithe and the twins to transform back into their human forms as soon as she overcame the first shock of seeing her second year lions in their Animagus forms, causing Hermione to quickly change the topic to the Animagus transformation.

The rest of the evening ended just as it had begun, with questions over questions, and Gaoithe inwardly sighed in relief when the Portkey took Hermione back two hours later. '_She is really nice but very tiring_,' he thought, yawning.

"Gaoithe, are you awake enough to walk back to the dungeons, or do you want me to take you through the Floo?" McGonagall asked, pulling him back to reality. "I'm afraid that you must not transform into your phoenix form, because your father told me that you are not allowed to do any magic."

"Is that magic?" Gaoithe asked in surprise.

The twins chuckled. "How did you think you were able to transform?" Fred asked curiously.

"I have no idea," Gaoithe replied, "but I thought because I'm a natural Animagus..." He slowly trailed off, realising that it probably sounded stupid. '_I didn't think of that before, but it must be magic that makes me change into animals_,' he realised. "I'll walk," he told the professor and left the office together with the twins after thanking McGonagall profusely for inviting Hermione for his detention.

風の力を持つハリー

'_Today is our last detention_,' Gaoithe thought when they headed to the Charms classroom on Friday evening.

"Good evening boys, come in," the tiny Professor Flitwick greeted them enthusiastically. "Today, I'm going to teach you a charm, which is a little difficult, because it has to be performed wandlessly, but since I heard that you already managed the Animagus transformation, I think that you might be able to succeed." With that the professor conjured a dozen small, colourful balls. "This is the juggling charm," he explained as he mumbled an incantation and began to juggle five balls, causing Gaoithe and the twins to watch in excitement.

"At first, you will try with only two balls," Flitwick said in excitement, handing everyone one red and one blue ball, before he taught them the incantation.

The three students watched in amazement how the balls began to move on their own as the professor spoke the charm and began to slightly move his hands.

'_I'm not supposed to do magic_,' Gaoithe mused but nevertheless followed the teacher's instructions. Remembering what his father had told him, he tried a few times and then waited for a few minutes, while he observed the twins trying to do wandless magic.

"This is very difficult, because you cannot use your wands. Please be patient, gentlemen. If you manage the charm with two balls, you will be able to use more balls. It's not more difficult," Flitwick explained, apparently noticing that the boys were slowly getting frustrated after an hour of inefficient tries.

Gaoithe was the first to be able to juggle the two balls, and Professor Flitwick handed him three more, one by one, looking proudly at the boy, who was juggling all five balls. It was nearly curfew when the twins managed the charm and began to play with the colourful balls.

"Excuse me, sir," Fred began to ask, "Will it be possible..."

"... to use the same charm..." George continued,

"... for other things than balls?"

A huge smile spread over the professor's face. "Yes of course, you can juggle with quills or apples, just be careful that you don't hurt anyone. Well done boys. Now it's after curfew though and we have to finish this detention."

Seeing the twins' disappointed faces, Gaoithe couldn't help chuckling. '_I really like detentions_,' he thought in spite of feeling absolutely exhausted. '_I can't imagine walking down to the dungeons now though. Maybe I'll feel better in my phoenix form_.' With that he transformed, realising that he felt indeed slightly better. He jumped onto Fred's hand and slowly walked up to his shoulder, where he made himself comfortable while the twins left the Charms classroom.

"Hey Gaoithe, what's wrong? Are you tired?" Fred asked and gently began to pet his head feathers.

"Oh right, he wasn't supposed to do magic," George suddenly remembered. "We better take him home, before he does anything else stupid."

"Right. Didn't Gonnie tell you that you weren't supposed to transform?" Fred asked shaking his head as the twins turned to the staircase that led to the dungeons.

'_You're the right ones to talk. You're not doing anything but nonsense the whole day_,' Gaoithe thought and chuckled inwardly, thoroughly enjoying the lift. Only when they reached the corridor in front of his father's office, he flew down to the floor and transformed back into his human form.

"Thank you for the lift. It's all right now. Good night."

"Good night Gaoithe. Oh, and when you meet Hermione the next time..."

"... you might give her something to do by teaching her the charm we just learned," the twins instructed him, chuckling, before they turned to leave the dungeons.

'_Wow, that's a brilliant idea_,' Gaoithe mused and began to ponder when he would be able to secretly get away to meet the girl as he absentmindedly entered his father's quarters.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe returned home, his father was sitting in his favourite armchair, reading a Potions journal.

"Good evening, Gaoithe. How was your detention with Professor Flitwick?" he asked, giving Gaoithe a sharp look.

Gaoithe let himself sink onto the sofa, trying to suppress a yawn. "I'm sorry Dad. I had to do magic, but I was very careful and took a lot of breaks. Professor Flitwick taught us a juggling charm. He gave each of us five balls, and we had to juggle them. It was so much fun."

Looking at the boy's excited face, Severus somehow felt unable to scold the child for doing magic. "Well, at least you were careful about the magic," he said finally. "I suppose that you're very tired now. Why don't you go to bed and sleep in tomorrow? It's Saturday anyway."

"I think I'm going to do that," Gaoithe agreed, before he hesitantly asked, "Would it be all right if I spent the night in my phoenix form? I think I'd feel better as a phoenix."

"The Transformation takes a lot of magic, too," Severus warned him but accepted the boy's decision.

Gaoithe changed into his phoenix form. #May I rest on your shoulder for a while?# he trilled softly, causing Severus to hold his hand invitingly in front of the bird's feet. #Thank you,# Gaoithe trilled and made himself comfortable behind the curtain of black hair on his favourite spot. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.

風の力を持つハリー

During the next weeks, Gaoithe tried in vain to find an opportunity to flash to Hermione. Somehow, Severus and his colleagues seemed to worry that he might deplete his magic again, and they were watching him like hawks. '_This is really annoying_,' Gaoithe thought one day as he walked behind his father to the Great Hall for dinner. '_On the other hand, it's great to have someone be concerned about me. The Dursleys never cared what I did, if I ate something or if I was healthy. My life has completely changed during the last year, and I love being here having such a considerate family_.'

Suddenly, he had an idea. '_If the cat professor allowed Hermione to visit me for my detention, perhaps Dad could invite her to come over for Halloween_.' He had never experienced Halloween before, but since the middle of October, the students' conversations more or less revolved around the feast that was going to take place on Halloween. When he talked to the twins about the matter, they agreed immediately.

Suddenly, George chuckled and suggested, "Let's put on a juggling act for everyone at Halloween..."

"... but instead of balls we're going to use something else," his brother added, giggling.

Over the second half of October, Gaoithe and the twins busily practised the acts for their show. They always spent the hour between the last afternoon class and dinner in Gaoithe's room practising the juggling charm as well as a few other spells, which they intended to use. Fortunately, Severus easily agreed to invite Hermione and made Gaoithe write a letter, to which he added a Portkey with explicit instructions how to activate it. Hermione's reply arrived on the same day, stating that she would love to visit Gaoithe over Halloween.

風の力を持つハリー

After dinner on Halloween, the Great Hall suddenly turned completely dark apart from a very bright spot on the Head table that was occupied by three relatively large birds. Suddenly, the three birds, two African Grey Parrots and a wind phoenix, jumped onto the floor and transfigured into three boys. Still remaining in the spot light, each of them pulled five colourful balls out of their robe pockets and began to flawlessly juggle them. After a short while, the balls turned into oversized lemon drops, and the boys continued juggling, until the lemon drops suddenly magically arranged themselves to a necklace that moved in a small zigzag line back to the Head table and finally came to rest around the Headmaster's neck.

"Thank you, my boys," Dumbledore said gratefully as he unwrapped one of the drops and popped it into his mouth, before he began to offer the sweets to his colleagues.

Under huge applause, each of the boys pulled four Snitches out of their robe pockets and once more began to juggle the golden balls that were moving their wings up and down simultaneously. All of a sudden, the boys each removed one of the Snitches they were juggling and threw them into the air, where the colour of the Snitches suddenly transformed to yellow. The yellow Snitches raced towards the Hufflepuff table and bounced off every Hufflepuff head on the left and right hand side of the table. When they had completed their manoeuvre, they sped back to their guffawing owners.

Having seen their plan come to fruition, the three boys turned their trusty Snitches blue and sent them to terrorize the Ravenclaw table. As soon as the Snitches returned, they turned them green and efficiently repeated the process for Slytherin, all the time laughing. Not willing to spare their own House, red Snitches were sent out to dance on the Gryffindor table, spilling pumpkin juice and scattering plates in all directions.

After the red Snitches returned to the three pranksters, all of the Snitches were sent far into the air. Right under the charmed ceiling, they exploded in a huge firework display, and while the attention of the whole school was turned towards the ceiling, the three friends quietly hurried back to their seats.

"Gaoithe, that was absolutely fantastic," Hermione, who was sitting between Gaoithe and the twins, said in excitement. "How did you manage to juggle five balls at once?"

"That's not difficult," Gaoithe replied in a small voice. "There is a juggling spell for that."

"It's not a spell, but a charm," Fred corrected him lightly, causing his twin to chuckle in expectation.

"Hermione, let Gaoithe teach you the charm," George beamed, "or we can try to teach you together. Gaoithe, if your father doesn't mind, we can practise in your room after breakfast tomorrow. Otherwise, we can use an unused classroom."

"I don't think my father will mind," Gaoithe said hesitantly. '_Dad said that my friends were always welcome to visit me in my room_,' he recalled.

"Wow, that's too cool. Oh please teach me the charm. I can't wait to be able to juggle," Hermione said enthusiastically, absentmindedly playing with a candy that the twins had placed on the table in front of her.

"We will," the twins replied, chuckling.

All of a sudden, Gaoithe felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to unconsciously flinch back as a soft voice told him, "That was a fantastic display, Gaoithe."

Automatically turning his head towards the voice, Gaoithe groaned inwardly. Luna Lovegood was standing behind Gaoithe, giving him a dreamy look. "Thank you," Gaoithe replied in a small voice, torn between feeling happy about the praise and being uncertain how to behave in the eccentric girl's company.

"Hey, young lady, why don't you join us?" Fred asked gently, and the twins made space for Luna to sit between them and Hermione.

"Thank you," Luna said, and a vague smile spread over her face as she introduced herself to Hermione. "You are muggleborn?" she asked with apparent interest. "I'm so happy to meet you. I have many questions about the Muggle world, if you don't mind answering them."

"Oh no, I'd love to talk with you," Hermione replied eagerly. "I have a heap of questions about the wizarding world. I'm going to stay with Gaoithe until tomorrow evening. Are you a student here?"

"No," Luna replied sadly. "I'll only be allowed to attend Hogwarts in two years' time. I'll be in the year after Gaoithe. And you?"

"I'm already eleven, and I'm going to be in Gaoithe's year," Hermione said happily. "He and the twins promised to teach me their juggling charm tomorrow morning. Will you still be here then?"

When Hermione and the twins found out that Luna was going to stay with her aunt over the weekend, they invited her to join them in the morning, and the five children met in Gaoithe's room after breakfast. While Hermione and Luna practised the wandless charm, the twins and Gaoithe tried out several variations of their acts.

"Gaoithe, we need to ask your father, if the two of you can come over to the Burrow for dinner sometime on Christmas, and then we can make a show for our family..."

"... I'm sure our siblings would love to see this," the twins suddenly said, just when the Potions Master appeared in the doorframe to call everyone for lunch.

"My aunt was right; he is really sweet," Luna said to Gaoithe just when they reached the Great Hall, leaving Gaoithe to wonder, '_Who is sweet? Fred? George? She can't mean Dad now, can she?_'

風の力を持つハリー

The five friends spent the rest of the day in Gaoithe's room, alternately answering Hermione's and Luna's questions, until Severus came and motioned them to follow him.

'_Where are we going?_' Gaoithe thought in surprise as his father led them to the end of the small corridor in their quarters, which ended at a painting of a huge cauldron. As soon as Severus touched a small bunch of herbs that were being added to the cauldron, the painting moved sideways, opening the way to a narrow, old staircase. '_A hidden staircase in our quarters?_' Gaoithe thought in disbelief as he followed his father and his friends upstairs.

The narrow staircase seemed to drag on infinitely, before the small group finally stepped out into the fresh air, only to find themselves in a small herb garden on top of the roofs of Hogwarts.

'_Wow, this is really high_,' Gaoithe mused as he looked around in absolute amazement. They were surrounded by small towers and parts of the roof. There were only two small openings in the roof that allowed the view onto the grounds and the lake as well as into the opposite direction.

"Oh, there are a few villages. Is one of them Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked curiously, causing Severus to quickly explain about the villages they could see from their spot on the roof.

"Now, why I brought you here," he finally finished his monologue, "is not only because I thought that you are in dire need of fresh air, but because I could need some help harvesting the lichens. Seeing five pairs of eyes staring at him questioningly, he smirked. "You probably don't know what lichens are. They often grow at strange places like cemeteries; however, what we're looking for are magical lichens. They grow on the roofs of magical buildings. The more magic a building contains, the more powerful the lichens are." He stepped to one side of the herb garden, from where they could easily oversee and reach a part of the roof. Pointing to a strange kind of dark green plant that looked a bit like moss, he explained, "Magical lichens are used in healing potions. Their extract is red or even purple if harvested from places with a strong magic."

Severus conjured several small containers and asked, "Would you mind scraping the lichens from the roof?"

The five children agreed and were soon engrossed in finding those that had the strangest formations.

"Is there no magical spell to harvest them?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"No, Ms. Granger, if you used a spell to scrap them from the roof, their magical power would be destroyed and they would be useless as potions ingredients," Severus explained gently, before he resumed collecting herbs from his garden in small containers.

Gaoithe and his friends thoroughly enjoyed their small excursion and were chattering in excitement when they finally climbed down the long staircase.

"777 steps," Luna breathed, "I thought it was much more."

The Potions Master chuckled. "Be glad that it's a magical staircase; otherwise it would even take more steps to climb up from the dungeons to that part of the roof."

風の力を持つハリー

The following weeks passed relatively uneventfully, until excitement began to build up in the school as the Christmas holidays approached. When everyone began to speak about nothing else but the holidays and what they were going to receive for Christmas, Gaoithe began to twist his mind about what he could give Severus as well as Minerva and Poppy. It was only a few days before the beginning of the holidays, when finally a good idea popped into his mind.

In the afternoon, Gaoithe flashed to the hospital wing to pay Madam Pomfrey a visit. "Madam Pomfrey," he said hesitantly, "do you have a minute for me?"

"Of course, Gaoithe," the elder witch replied gently. "What can I do for you?"

"I need your help," the boy blurted out in excitement. "I thought about what I could give Dad for Christmas, and I just had an idea. If I transformed into several magical animals like, for example, a basilisk or a unicorn, could you harvest potions ingredients out of me?"

The Healer stared at him in disbelief, before she replied thoughtfully, "Oh well, it wouldn't be a problem to cut a bit of unicorn hair, but I don't know about basilisk skin or such. I don't want to harm you." She remained pensive for an instant. "Gaoithe, do you know Hagrid?" she asked finally.

"Um, yes, but not well. Dad introduced him to me, but he doesn't know that I'm a multiple Animagus."

"Gaoithe, I know him quite well, and I can assure you that he will keep your secret. I suggest that we meet with Hagrid and Professor McGonagall. I'd feel better if she was with us just in case you had any problems with your transformations, and Hagrid knows more about magical animals than I. I'll contact both of them and ask when they have time. Come back tomorrow before breakfast."

"All right; thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Gaoithe said gratefully, sighing in relief as he flashed home.

風の力を持つハリー

On Sunday morning after breakfast, Gaoithe told his father that was going to meet the Weasley twins. His best friends knew about his plan and had promised to remain in their common room.

Gaoithe flashed to the hospital wing, where Poppy, Minerva and Hagrid were already waiting for him.

"Let's head into my personal quarters," the Mediwitch suggested, pointing to the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff that was overseeing the hospital wing from the wall in her office. "Helga will alert me if I'm needed here."

Gaoithe couldn't help chuckling as they entered the witch's private quarters. Somehow, he had expected her living room to look like her office, filled with dark wooden shelves that were huge and seemed to be on the verge of collapsing under the weight of hundreds of potions phials. However, the living room was a very bright room that was built around a fireplace and was surrounded by bookshelves just like Severus' living room. Another portrait of Helga Hufflepuff was hanging above the fireplace.

McGonagall conjured a soft mattress for Gaoithe, and during the next two hours, he transformed into several animals, and Poppy and Hagrid busied themselves collecting phoenix tears, basilisk skin, unicorn hair, griffin wing feathers and other valuable potions ingredients from Gaoithe's Animagus forms. Finally, Poppy handed the glass containers with the ingredients to Misty and asked her to give them to Severus for Christmas from Gaoithe.

風の力を持つハリー

After taking a short nap on his phoenix perch, glad that his father was busy in his lab, so that he wouldn't notice how tired he was, Gaoithe spent the afternoon together with Severus in the lab to brew fruit drops and several types of chocolates for his friends as well as for the Weasleys, who had invited Severus and him to their home for dinner on Christmas Eve.

'_The twins have five siblings_,' Gaoithe mused as he took a shower in order to get ready for their visit to the Burrow a few days later. '_It must be great to have such a huge family. I hope they're all as nice as the twins. Their brother Percy seems very stern and not funny though_.'

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe stumbled behind his father out of the fireplace and looked around with interest. While a woman that had to be the twins' mother stepped over to them right away, the twins were standing on the third step from the bottom of a staircase, pointing their wands at a book that was chasing a younger boy with the same red hair as the twins. The boy was trying to evade the book and finally ran upstairs, swearing revenge as he fled.

"Hello Severus, how nice of you to join us for Christmas Eve," Molly Weasley enthusiastically greeted the Potions Master, who had an obvious expression of relief on his face as the witch let off and turned to Gaoithe. "And you must be Gaoithe," she continued. "The twins told me everything about you."

"Hello Mrs. Weasley. Thank you so much for the invitation," Gaoithe replied politely, feeling very reassured when the twins came over and began to talk to him in their usual way of communication.

"Hello Gaoithe..."

"We're sorry..."

"... We'd like to introduce you to our younger brother Ron..."

"He is ten just like you..."

"... but we managed to upset him..."

"... just by a small prank."

"Fred and George, can you fetch the others please?" Mrs. Weasley interrupted the twins' tirade. "Dinner is ready in five minutes."

"All right, I'll go," George offered and dashed away, while Fred pulled Gaoithe with him to the table.

"We thought you'd like to sit between the two of us," he said as he sat down, ushering Gaoithe on the chair next to him.

"Yes, thank you," Gaoithe said in relief, feeling very uncertain at the thought of being in the company of so many unknown people that stormed into the room within the next two minutes. '_Charlie and Bill seem to be very nice, just like the twins_,' Gaoithe thought as he quietly enjoyed his food, while the Weasley children all talked at the same time. '_Percy and Ron look as if they were in a bad mood, but Ginny seems nice as well_.'

"Do you like Shepherd's pie, Gaoithe?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly, pulling Gaoithe out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I love it," Gaoithe replied truthfully. "It's my favourite, and yours even tastes better than that of the house-elves at Hogwarts."

"I thought the food at Hogwarts was so wonderful," Ron objected with a strange look on his face that Gaoithe couldn't quite interpret.

"Anyway, eat up and let's go to our room and practise our act once more," Fred suggested, while George turned to their mother.

"Mum, we just want to practise once. We'll be back in two minutes."

Gaoithe happily followed the twins upstairs, glad to be alone with his friends for a moment. Even if the Weasleys seemed to be very kind, he wasn't used to having so many people around him. The twins led him into their room, motioning him to take a seat on the bed between several books, clothes, an empty cauldron and other items. '_Their room is as chaotic as that of Dudley_,' Gaoithe mused as he listened to the twins' suggestions for their act.

A few minutes later, the friends headed downstairs again, noticing that everyone had finished dinner. Ginny was cleaning the table, while Mrs. Weasley was magically doing the washing up, and Mr. Weasley was engrossed in a conversation with Severus and his older sons. Only Ron seemed to be missing. The twins pulled Gaoithe to the sofa, and as soon as everyone was assembled in the living room, the three boys pulled their colourful balls out of their robe pockets and began to juggle according to the program, which they had used on Halloween at Hogwarts. Instead of the House tables, they made the blue Snitches circle around Bill's head, the red Snitches jump up and down on Charlie's lap, the green Snitches smash periodically into Percy's head and the yellow Snitches circle around Ron making belching noises.

"That was absolutely brilliant," Ginny commented when they finished their program, causing her parents to agree.

"Very well done, Gaoithe, Fred and George," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling each of the boys into bear hugs. "Now let's have some desert."

Ginny and Ron followed their mother into the kitchen, while Severus and Mr. Weasley resumed their earlier conversation, and Bill and Charlie enquired about the juggling charm they had used.

Gaoithe once more sat between the twins at the table, where a plate with assorted desserts was waiting for him. '_This is as delicious as the shepherd's pie_,' he thought and enjoyed the food, until his head suddenly felt very strange. Quietly putting his spoon down on his plate, he carefully brought his hands to his temples, only to realise that instead of his usual skin he was spiking feathers. He tried to whisper to the twins, but his voice came only out as a quack.

'_My head must be that of a duck or something_,' Gaoithe mused, trying in vain to get a look at his own face. Feeling absolutely uncomfortable, he transformed into his phoenix form without even thinking about the matter.

#Dad, what happened?# he asked anxiously. #Was that a prank potion or something?#

'Probably yes, son. Your head suddenly changed into that of a duck. You need to ask your mischievous friends about that,' Severus quickly mind thought back, causing Gaoithe to sigh in relief as his father's calming voice penetrated his mind.

#Thank you, Dad,# he trilled back and stepped behind his chair, where he transformed back into his human form. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a small voice, before he quickly sat on his seat, pushing his desert plate away.

"What happened?" the twins asked in surprise.

"Oh now that's enough, Fred and George," their mother immediately scolded them sternly. "You should know better than to play pranks on visitors, especially when they're younger than yourselves and are here for the first time."

"Mum, we can assure you..."

"... that we didn't do anything," the twins said sincerely.

"Mum, I'm sure that was Ron," Ginny spoke up, glaring accusingly at her brother.

"What's so bad?" Ron scoffed. "When they pranked me with their farting Snitches and even put me into Hufflepuff, no one said a word..."

"Ron, you will apologize to Gaoithe NOW," Mr. Weasley ordered him in a no nonsense voice. "This is not funny."

"It's all right," Gaoithe threw in hesitantly. "It wasn't so bad."

"Well, you're lucky, because you're an Animagus, but I think it's annoying enough that the twins prank everyone. We don't need anyone else to prank us," Ginny objected, causing Ron to leave the room and run upstairs in a huff.

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe said in a small voice.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about, Gaoithe," Percy replied firmly.

"Exactly. Ron can be a real prat sometimes," Ginny agreed. "Mum, may we go flying for a while?"

Mrs. Weasley agreed and instructed everyone to pull on their warm robes, before she handed Gaoithe a present, wrapped in colourful Christmas paper with small reindeers that were flying around. "I know it's only Christmas Eve, but I thought you might want to put it under your robes, sweetie," she said gently, motioning the boy to open his present.

Gaoithe shot his father a glance, noticing happily that he nodded his agreement, before he carefully opened the wrapping, finding a warm jumper inside. It was dark blue with a green phoenix on the front.

"Wow, this is very pretty and warm," Gaoithe said in amazement. "Is that really for me?"

"Our mother always makes these..."

"... for everyone..."

"... for Christmas," the twins explained.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Weasley," Gaoithe said gratefully, incredulously admiring the jumper.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Mrs. Weasley replied and motioned him to wear it right away.

Gaoithe obeyed and followed the others outside, noticing in excitement that everyone except for Mrs. Weasley and Ron, who hadn't reappeared yet, mounted a broom. They formed two teams, and Gaoithe was made Seeker. He took into the air together with the others and began to feverishly look for the Snitch that was very difficult to find, even if the snow on the ground made the garden relatively bright. It was nearly midnight when Gaoithe managed to catch the struggling little ball just an arm length before Severus, who played Seeker for the other team.

Back inside, everyone had a cup of cocoa that felt wonderful warm after flying in the cold December air. However, seeing that Gaoithe was nearly falling asleep over his drink, Severus stepped over to his son. "I believe that it's time to head back to Hogwarts," he said quietly.

"May I flash us? I'm too tired to take the Floo," Gaoithe replied softly, causing Severus to quirk an eyebrow but finally nod.

"All right, if you don't feel too tired to flash."

They quickly said their goodbyes to the Weasleys, and Gaoithe exchanged presents with the twins, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed home together with his father.

"That was a cool evening, apart from the fact that Ron doesn't like me for some reason," he mumbled ten minutes later, already drifting off to sleep as Severus gently tucked him in.


	11. Chapter 11

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Gaoithe woke up to his father's voice. "Good morning, Gaoithe. Happy Christmas!"

He lazily opened his eyes only to shut them again quickly, seeing the rays of the bright morning sun enter his room through the charmed window. "Morning Dad, happy Christmas to you too," he mumbled, already drifting back to slumber.

Severus chuckled. "I'm sorry my boy; I can understand that you're still tired, but we need to attend breakfast in the Great Hall, and I assume that several of my colleagues are eagerly waiting for you to unpack your presents."

'_Presents?_' Gaoithe thought, remembering the wonderful jumper he had received from Mrs. Weasley the night before. "May I wear my new jumper?" he asked with excitement.

"You may do as you wish; however, you need to wear proper robes in any case," Severus replied firmly. "Get ready then; I'll wait in the living room."

Gaoithe quickly took a shower, dressed and finally followed his father to the Great Hall, which was beautifully decorated. '_Is that a spell or a charm that makes the snow fall but not land on the ground?_' he wondered as he absentmindedly played with his food, until the cat professor brought him back to reality.

"Gaoithe, what's wrong?" Minerva asked in concern.

"Ah, I was just wondering about the snow," Gaoithe blurted out, causing the adults to laugh.

"That's a charm, which shouldn't be a problem for you," Professor Flitwick spoke up eagerly. "I'll teach you after breakfast if you want."

"Oh yes please," Gaoithe happily agreed and turned to his breakfast, somehow still feeling too tired to eat. He gratefully accepted the present, which the Headmaster handed him. "A self-refilling box of chocolate frogs," he read in amazement. "Wow, that's too cool. Thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore."

"You're welcome, my boy. Thank you for your help with my research during the last six months and for being such a good friend to Fawkes," the Headmaster replied, and his eyes were twinkling merrily.

From Professor McGonagall Gaoithe received a book, '_Useful Transfiguration in Everyday Life_' and a small box with cat treats, Professor Sinistra gave him a cushion to lie on when he was in his cat form, and in the package Madam Pomfrey handed him he found a book, '_First Steps in Diagnostics and Healing Spells'_. Professor Flitwick grinned broadly as he handed him his present. It was another book, entitled, '_Charms for Fun'_.

Severus couldn't help rolling his eyes at the presents Gaoithe received from his colleagues and let out a small groan when the Headmaster said, "There are more presents under the tree. The house-elves apparently placed all the presents there."

From Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor, whom Gaoithe adored greatly because she was always in a good mood and had taught him many tactic moves on his broom, Gaoithe received a broom polishing kit. Hagrid gave him a book entitled '_Magical Beasts and How to Harvest them for Further Use_', and just when Gaoithe thought he was finished unwrapping presents, Fawkes appeared right in front of him and laid something on the table. '_What's that? An egg?_' Gaoithe thought in surprise as he transformed into his phoenix form to speak with his friend. '_Thank God I brewed the fruit treats for him yesterday morning. I nearly forgot to make something for him_.'

#Gaoithe, this is a nestling. She is going to hatch soon, and I want her to become your familiar,# Fawkes informed him curtly. #You must keep her warm until she hatches and while she is a baby. I won't tell you yet what kind of phoenix she is. Wait and see. I'll come and help you look after her ever so often.#

#A baby phoenix?# Gaoithe trilled in excitement. #Wow, that's cool. Thank you so much, Fawkes.# He carefully stepped over to the white egg, noticing that it was slightly moving. #Dad, I received a phoenix familiar from Fawkes,# he told his father, noticing from the corner of his eyes that Severus was just unpacking his own present, carefully putting the small phials on the table in front of him.

#What are you going to name her, Gaoithe?# Fawkes asked, curiously fluffing his feathers.

#I don't know yet,# Gaoithe replied absentmindedly, eagerly observing his father. '_I hope he'll like the ingredients_,' he thought worriedly. '_Dad's expression is unreadable_.'

Severus remained silent for a few minutes. "I'm speechless," he said finally. "Gaoithe, and whoever helped my son with this... Thank you so much."

#Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid and the cat professor helped me,# Gaoithe informed him. #I'm sorry Dad; I don't know if you can use these; I just thought...#

"Gaoithe, these are absolutely fantastic," Severus said hoarsely, unobtrusively wiping away a small tear that had the gull to leak from his right eye. "Do you know that these phials all together are worth several millions of Galleons? I can't believe it. Thank you so much."

#You're welcome. I'm glad you like my present,# Gaoithe trilled happily, curiously tapping the white egg in front of him with his beak.

#Be careful, nestling,# Fawkes admonished him lightly.

#I will,# Gaoithe chuckled. #Can you at least tell me what colour she is going to have? It would help deciding on a name.#

#Nope,# Fawkes replied smugly and began to clean his wings.

Gaoithe rolled his eyes at the older phoenix's antics and flew down from the table to transform back into his human form.

風の力を持つハリー

"I suggest that we head outside for a snowman building contest," the Headmaster spoke up, and the teachers as well as the students, who had remained in the castle over the holidays, enthusiastically stood up from their seats to fetch their warm robes.

Gaoithe nearly jumped in surprise when he suddenly heard a cat's meowing from behind. It was the cat professor.

=Gaoithe, Professor Sinistra, Madam Pomfrey and I want to make a statue of your father in his potions lab. Would you like to help us?=

Gaoithe changed into his cat form, smiling excitedly at the two cats in front of him. =Of course I'd like to help. I'll try to make a cauldron and a few phials to go along with it.=

#I'm going to take the egg with me and look after it while you're busy,# Fawkes offered kindly, causing Gaoithe to gratefully agree.

Gaoithe and the three witches spent the next two hours building a life size version of Severus in his potions lab, before the Headmaster closed the snowman building contest. Finally, everyone walked around the grounds to look at the work of the others behind Professors Dumbledore and Flitwick, who were the jury.

Afterwards, everyone returned to the Great Hall for tea to warm up. After taking a few sips from his cup, Professor Flitwick stood on his chair.

"Thank you, all of you, for the many contributions to our contest. Most of them were so fantastic that it was a very difficult decision. We finally decided to give the third prize, a five Galleons voucher from Honeydukes, to Professor Sprout for her portrait of Professor McGonagall in her cat form."

Everyone laughed at the announcement, and Professor Flitwick continued, "The second prize, a ten Galleons voucher each from Honeydukes, goes to the two Hufflepuff second year students, Peter and Maggie, for their miniature version of Hogwarts, and the first prize received the life size statue of Professor Snape in his potions lab. Professors McGonagall, Sinistra, Madam Pomfrey and Gaoithe Snape each receive a voucher of ten Galleons from The Ink Pot in London."

風の力を持つハリー

After lunch, Severus and Gaoithe returned to their quarters. Gaoithe noticed in surprise that the house-elves had already moved his presents from the Great Hall to their quarters.

"Gaoithe," Severus spoke up, taking a seat in his favourite armchair. "I suggest that you take a short nap. Considering how late it was last night, you must be very tired. However," he added, raising his hand to stop Gaoithe, who was on the verge of objecting, "I'd like to give you my present beforehand."

Gaoithe sat on the seat right next to his father's armchair, giving him a curious look that intensified when Severus pulled a dark purple envelope from the bookshelf and handed it to him, smirking. He hesitantly opened the envelope and frowned as he tried to comprehend what was written on the card inside, before his eyes widened in surprise as understanding set in.

"A magical ski resort?" Gaoithe asked in surprise, causing Severus to smirk.

"Well, I thought it would be good to have a few quiet days just for us," Severus replied. "We're going to leave tonight after dinner and will come back on New Year's Eve. Professor Sinistra recommended the resort to me after spending her Christmas holidays there last year. We will learn to ski with and without magic, and as far as I heard they even play Quidditch on charmed skis."

"Wow, that's so cool. Thank you Dad," Gaoithe replied happily, before he added in a small voice, "I've never been on holidays before."

"I thought as much," Severus mumbled, more to himself than to Gaoithe, before he asked, "Are you going to take a nap, or do you want to help in the lab? I can't wait to use the Brombylow tears you so kindly provided."

Gaoithe chuckled. "Of course I want to help," he said happily, jumping up from his seat in excitement. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. "But what I'm going to do with the phoenix egg?"

"I already arranged that with the Headmaster. Fawkes is going to look after the egg, while we're away."

"Oh, that's good." Gaoithe sighed in relief, before he spoke up again with excitement. "Dad, when are we going to leave? What should I take with me, and where..."

"Gaoithe, calm down please," Severus interrupted him, groaning inwardly. '_How could I let Minerva, Aurora and Poppy talk me into going for a trip?_' he thought grimly. '_I could have expected Gaoithe to completely freak out at the news_.' "Cicero is going to prepare everything, and we shall leave tonight after Christmas dinner in the Great Hall. If there is anything that you want to take with you, like for example one or two of the books you received for Christmas, just leave them on the table in the living room for Cicero to pack."

"Ah, all right," Gaoithe replied and hurriedly skimmed the books, before he placed them all on the table, unaware of the knowing grin that spread over his father's face.

風の力を持つハリー

Severus and Gaoithe spent the following week in the magical resort. In spite of having taken all his new books with him, Gaoithe didn't manage to even read one of them. Every morning between breakfast and lunch, they had Muggle skiing lessons, between lunch and dinner they learned how to ski with the help of magic, which – at least for Gaoithe and Severus – was much easier, because they were capable of wandless magic, and after dinner, they played Ski Quidditch. At first, Gaoithe had to play Chaser, and he didn't overly like Ski Quidditch. However, when the trainer suggested changing the positions on the third day, he became Seeker, which was much more pleasant. Seeing how good Gaoithe was at catching the Snitch, he remained Seeker for the remainder of their stay. When Severus and Gaoithe returned to their room after dinner, they turned to the books they had received for Christmas, but on most days Gaoithe couldn't manage to keep his eyes open for more than ten minutes.

"Being out in the fresh air all day is really exhausting," Severus mumbled in amusement as he carried a sleeping Gaoithe to his bed and tucked him in just like every other evening since they had arrived at the resort.

"Ski Quidditch was the best," Gaoithe excitedly told Minerva when they were back at Hogwarts on New Year's Eve and had dinner in the Great Hall.

"Oh well, I hope you'll get sorted into Gryffindor next year. I will make sure that Mr. Wood will hire you as Seeker for our House team," Minerva laughed, causing Severus to raise an eyebrow at his older colleague, mouthing, "Gryffindor?"

"Do you have any preferences, Gaoithe? Is there any House you'd like to get in?" Professor Sinistra asked kindly.

Gaoithe let out a thoughtful sigh while he busily cuddled the egg of his baby phoenix that was going to hatch soon. "Hmmm, frankly speaking I have no idea. I haven't even thought about the matter, but I think every House would be fine with me. It would be great if I was together with Hermione and Draco though. Oh well, the twins are in Gryffindor of course, but I will be able to remain friends with them, even if I end up in another House, won't I?" He looked anxiously at his father.

"Of course, sweetie; you can be friends with whomever you want, even if they are not in your House," McGonagall replied reassuringly.

'Gaoithe, did I ever tell you that your mother was my best friend while we were students at Hogwarts? She was in Gryffindor, and I was in Slytherin. Don't worry about things like Houses. It doesn't matter, into which House you're going to be sorted,' Severus mind thought to Gaoithe, causing the boy to sigh in relief. He unobtrusively threw his father a grateful look and smiled.

Suddenly, Gaoithe heard a small cracking noise. '_What was that? Did I break the egg?_' he thought in shock and quickly pulled the egg out from under his left arm.

"Oh, your baby phoenix seems to be hatching," Severus said, pointing to the large crack at one side of the egg.

Everyone observed with interest and amusement how a tiny, naked baby bird made its way out of the eggshell and stood on the table, shivering violently.

Gaoithe carefully picked the tiny being up and cuddled her close. "Hey little one," he said softly, gently laying his hands around the small body.

"Gaoithe, you better transform into your phoenix form and warm her under your wing," the Headmaster advised him kindly, and Gaoithe saw that his eyes were twinkling joyfully.

He placed the tiny bird into his father's hands and quickly transformed, before he flew up on Severus' lap, completely covering the small baby with his wings. #What am I going to name her?# he asked, more to himself than to everyone else, provoking a huge discussion about baby names and bird names in general, in Mythology and in the magical world.

"Can you show him to me for a moment?" Poppy asked, smirking, causing Gaoithe to slightly lift his left wing. The Mediwitch waved her wand at the naked form, uttering an incantation, before she nodded at Gaoithe and put her wand away. "She is an ice phoenix," she informed the boy.

Gaoithe sighed gratefully. #Thank you so much for finding out, Madam Pomfrey. So she will be as white as snow.# He threw Severus a grateful look as the Potions Master translated his phoenix trills for the Healer.

"Look here then," Professor Flitwick said, waving his wand at the nearby wall, and a huge list with words appeared on the wall. "These words mean 'snow' in different languages. Those on the right side mean 'ice'."

#Yuki,# Gaoithe read. #It's the Japanese word for snow. That sounds good.# He carefully lifted his right wing just a little bit, noticing that the first white feathers were already beginning to spike. #Your name is Yuki, sweetie. Is that all right with you?#

#Lub it,# the baby trilled back.

風の力を持つハリー

During the next two weeks, Yuki grew to a beautiful ice phoenix. Her feathers were completely white apart from a few feathers in her back that held a light pink colour. While she was a baby, Gaoithe spent much time in his phoenix form, except for a few days at the end of the holidays, when Draco Malfoy came to visit Severus and him. The two boys spent much time playing wizard's chess, talking about Hogwarts or explored unused parts of the castle. However, wherever they went, Gaoithe always took Yuki with him and cuddled the small baby bird close. Only when he went flying with Draco, he brought her to Fawkes, knowing that the older phoenix, as mischievous as he was, would take good care of his baby familiar.

風の力を持つハリー

Finally, the students came back and school began again. As much as Gaoithe enjoyed being together with Draco, he was happy about having the students back, because the huge castle felt so lonely without their laughing and running around. To his surprise, the twins handed him a letter, curiously glancing over his shoulder as he opened it. Gaoithe looked at the letter with interest, realising that it was from Ginny, the twins' little sister. '_She must be the same age as Luna_,' he mused and began to read.

'_Dear Gaoithe,_

_I'm sorry how my brother behaved on Christmas Eve. I'm glad you could take it so well and just transform into your Animagus form. I'd love to become an Animagus as well._

_Anyway, since Ron is going to be in the same year as you from September onwards, I'm going to tell you a bit about him, so that you know what to expect. He is very jealous of everything and everyone. This is also the reason why he played the prank on you. He was jealous that you're already living at Hogwarts in spite of being a few months younger than himself and that you are friends with the twins and not with him, although you are the same age as him and not the twins. Well, don't let him get to you. Reasoning doesn't work with him. I just wanted to tell you that. I can't wait to finally be able to go to Hogwarts too._

_Take care, and I hope you'll visit us again soon. I have instructed the twins to hide their prank potions better now._

_Ginny_'

Gaoithe sighed and pocketed the letter. '_Well, at least I know that it wasn't my fault that he didn't like me. Ginny seems to be very nice though_,' he thought and absentmindedly began to eat his dinner.

"It seems..."

"... that you're having a new fan, Gaoithe...," the twins told him, chuckling.

"All these years..."

"... she has been a huge fan of Harry Potter..."

"... although she never met him..."

"... but ever since Christmas Eve..."

"... she doesn't speak about anything else..."

"... but Gaoithe," the twins simultaneously finished their dialogue, causing Gaoithe to blush.

"She is very nice," he replied, feeling very uncomfortable at the attention. '_At least it is easier to be in her company than in Luna's_,' he thought.

風の力を持つハリー

The following months passed fairly uneventfully. In spite of not being a student yet, Gaoithe was very busy helping the Headmaster with his research that remained unsuccessful so far, keeping Yuki company on her first flights around Hogwarts, brewing potions together with his father, playing small pranks together with Fawkes and the twins, answering infinite letters from Hermione and accompanying Professor McGonagall to another new first year's house.

One Friday morning at the end of May, the twins pulled Gaoithe into the hidden alcove they often used to plan their pranks.

"Gaoithe," the twins began with mischievous expressions on their faces that made Gaoithe inwardly groan in anticipation.

"As you know, the final Quidditch match is going to take place tomorrow..."

"... and of course we hope that Gryffindor will win the Quidditch Cup..."

"Therefore, we want to go to Hogsmeade..."

"... to buy some butterbeer..."

"... after the last afternoon class today."

"Can you come with us and flash us back with the bottles?"

Gaoithe rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to properly land with the bottles. Maybe they'll brake."

"Oh, that's true," Fred agreed thoughtfully.

"But I'll help you carry them," Gaoithe added quickly. "I can flash us to Hogsmeade, and we can walk back through the secret passage."

The twins agreed, and after the last afternoon class, the three mischief makers flashed to Hogsmeade. Gaoithe quickly transformed into his human form and hesitantly followed the twins into the Three Broomsticks, carefully glancing around. He sighed in relief as he realised that the small town was still relatively quiet. From the few times he had accompanied Severus to Hogsmeade, he knew that this would change soon. The twins bought several bottles of butterbeer, for which they had collected the money in the common room earlier, and the three boys unobtrusively entered Honeydukes.

'_Thank Merlin_,' Gaoithe mused when they made it into the cellar unseen. Unfortunately, the bottles were very heavy, and the corridor was uneven and dark. While he quietly walked behind the twins, he listened to their talk about the Quidditch match that was going to take place in the morning. Unfortunately, half-way through the corridor, he was rudely brought back to reality.

風の力を持つハリー

One moment of absentmindedness was enough for Gaoithe to stumble and fall onto the ground. He felt a sharp pain in his right elbow, before he noticed his right side getting wet as the smell of beer spread through the corridor.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" George asked in concern, while Fred cast a Lumos charm.

"Yes, I'm sorry. One of the bottles seems to have broken," Gaoithe whispered, pressing his teeth together to not let out a huge moan at the pain in his elbow.

"That doesn't matter," Fred said, giving Gaoithe a sharp look.

"It's only important that you're unharmed," George agreed and quickly cast a repairing charm at Gaoithe's torn robes.

"Thank you," Gaoithe mumbled gratefully and carefully tried to lift the box with the bottles again as soon as Fred had vanished the remaining of the broken bottle. '_Oh that hurts_,' he thought. '_Something must be wrong with my elbow_.'

"Oh no!" George suddenly exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "We're so stupid. We can just levitate the boxes. Why carry them?"

"Oh right," Gaoithe agreed, gratefully putting the box down.

The twins cast levitating charms on the boxes, and the three friends hurried back to the castle.

"We should leave the bottles at the beginning of the passage and come to collect them tonight," Gaoithe suggested.

"That's a good idea," Fred agreed immediately.

"But you don't have to worry about that. We're going to bring someone to help us carry them. It's easier for us to get away after curfew than for you," George added, giving Gaoithe a sharp look. "Are you in pain, Gaoithe?"

"A bit, but it's all right," Gaoithe hesitantly admitted.

"You better let your father look at your arm," Fred said in concern.

"Will do," Gaoithe mumbled, knowing that he wouldn't tell anyone about the matter in order not to give the twins away. "Good night. I'm going to flash back home." Completely forgetting about dinner and not feeling hungry anyway, Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form, noticing in relief that he felt much better. He flashed home, startling Yuki, who was just taking a nap on their perch.

#Hi Yuki, did I wake you up? I'm sorry,# he apologized.

#That's all right, Gaoithe. Where have you been? Your father was looking for you.#

#Really?# Gaoithe asked. #Do you know why?#

Yuki calmly began to clean her back feathers. #No. He only said he was going to attend dinner,# she trilled softly.

'_Oh well, I better be asleep by the time he returns_,' Gaoithe mused. '_He won't be happy that I missed dinner_.' He slowly turned his head to his back and listened to Yuki trilling beautiful melodies that slowly lured him into slumber.

風の力を持つハリー

By the time Severus returned from dinner, Gaoithe was already fast asleep, while Yuki was still meticulously cleaning her wings, trilling softly whenever her beak was void of feathers.

"Gaoithe is here," Severus said in surprise. "Is he all right?"

Yuki looked up and after a glance at the wind phoenix nodded her head, knowing that Severus wasn't able to comprehend her trills.

'_Oh well, he'll better have a good excuse for missing dinner_,' Severus thought. '_He can't have been together with the twins, because they attended the meal. I just hope he didn't play pranks with Fawkes, otherwise I'll have to think of a birds' detention_.' He sat in his favourite armchair, pondering what he could make two phoenixes do for detention.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe woke up very early in the morning. Turning to Yuki, he asked, #Did my father say anything? Was he angry because I missed dinner?#

The smaller phoenix remained thoughtful for a few seconds, before she replied, #I don't think that he was upset. He seemed a bit confused though, because he didn't know where you were.#

#Ah, all right. Oh well, I'm going to go and take a shower,# Gaoithe decided. '_I have to get a glance at my elbow. I hope it'll be okay_.' He flashed straight into his own room and transformed, noticing that his right arm felt very sore and that he smelled of butterbeer. '_Uh, that's disgusting_,' he thought. He quickly grabbed fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom.

By the time Severus left his bedroom, Gaoithe was back on his perch in his phoenix form, greeting his father with a happy trill.

"Good morning, Gaoithe," Severus replied sternly. "Do you have an explanation as to why you missed dinner last night?"

#I'm sorry, Dad,# Gaoithe trilled, bringing his right foot up to scratch his head, #but I was together with the twins, and we separated in the entrance hall, and I completely forgot about dinner, and I was so tired, and I just came here and slept.# '_Oh my, I'm talking like Hermione_,' he thought, feeling very uncomfortable to lie to his father. '_I need to tell him about my elbow, but I can't give the twins away_,' he mused. '_Hopefully, the pain will go away during the weekend. So far I can just remain in my phoenix form. On the other hand, he might get suspicious if I don't transform at least for the meals_.'

"It's time for breakfast," Severus stated, raising an eyebrow at the green phoenix. "Are you going to transform, or do I have the pleasure of having you eat from my plate?"

#Hmmm, that depends on what you're going to eat,# Gaoithe chuckled, trying to hide his uncertainty about transforming. #All right, I will transform. May I watch the Quidditch match from your shoulder then?#

Severus nodded, and Gaoithe flew down to the floor and changed into his human form, wondering why his arm hurt so much. "Are you coming with me?" he asked Yuki, invitingly holding out his left arm.

The white phoenix agreed and sat on Gaoithe's left shoulder, picking this and that from his plate as Gaoithe had breakfast together with a few boys of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"I hope you're going to get sorted into Slytherin. I'll retire on the spot," the Seeker told him, causing Gaoithe to give him a horrified look.

"Why would you do such a thing? And first years aren't allowed to play anyway. I heard my father say so to Professor McGonagall when she said something about me playing Quidditch for Gryffindor," Gaoithe replied in surprise.

"Oh but I'm sure we'd somehow be able to talk the professors out of that stupid regulation," Marcus Flint, the Quidditch captain, told him. "Everyone has seen you catch the Snitch out of nowhere before. In fact, the other three captains and I have an ongoing bet about where you're going to be sorted, and of course I hope to win the bet as well as the most promising Seeker. All right everyone, are you ready to fight for the Quidditch Cup?"

'_A bet about where I'm going to be sorted?_' Gaoithe thought in disbelief as he absentmindedly followed the Slytherins out to the Quidditch pitch.

#You're already famous before even becoming a first year,# Yuki chuckled from his left shoulder, causing Gaoithe to sigh in annoyance.

"I think the bet is fun, but I don't want to be famous. In fact, I think it's sad that I have to be sorted into a House. On the one hand, all right, I want to play for a House team, but on the other hand, I'd prefer to go on like I did so far. I love having friends in different Houses," he quietly admitted to his familiar.

#I don't like the House system very much,# Yuki said softly, gently nibbling Gaoithe's earlap. #The other day, Fawkes told me some things about the Sorting Hat. His decisions seem to be anything but accurate anyway.#

"Oh no! Don't let Fawkes teach you pranks," Gaoithe warned the smaller phoenix, who chuckled and reassured him that she was not planning on playing any pranks and had already told Fawkes as much. When they arrived on the Quidditch pitch, he pried his familiar off his shoulder and transformed into his phoenix form, in which he remained the whole weekend apart from mealtimes.

When Gaoithe transformed into his human form on Monday morning, he noticed that he wasn't feeling well at all. The pain in his right arm seemed to have worsened overnight, and he had a bad headache. '_Maybe I should attend classes in my phoenix form_,' he thought but dismissed the idea, because he was supposed to attend the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first year Potions class in the morning, and he certainly didn't want to miss brewing together with the students, whom he liked very much. His father always paired him with someone, who had problems brewing, and Gaoithe was happy that he could brew together with the students and help them if necessary. On this Monday morning, however, Gaoithe should be the one that required help.

Gaoithe noticed soon that he couldn't properly concentrate. His head was pounding terribly, and even his eyes were sore. '_I have to pay attention. I can't endanger the students by making a mistake_,' he told himself and was very careful. Nevertheless, he accidentally began to stir the potion in the wrong direction after inserting the fifth ingredient. Fortunately, Lars, the Hufflepuff boy, who had already been his partner several times and with whom he got along very well, had paid attention and quickly directed his hand into the right direction.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Gaoithe whispered back. "Sorry for that. Can we change? Can you do the brewing and I prepare the ingredients?"

"Of course," Lars replied readily, sensing that Gaoithe was not his usual cheerful self. "Be careful though."

Gaoithe tried to be careful; however, all of a sudden, a slight shiver ran through his body, causing him to cut his forefinger. He unconsciously let out a small gasp that turned Severus' attention to him.

"Gaoithe, what happened?" Severus asked, instructing Lars to continue with their brewing.

"I cut myself," Gaoithe replied in a small voice. "It's all right though."

Severus quickly skimmed the table, realising contentedly that Gaoithe had only been cutting harmless ingredients so far. He took the boy's hand to examine the cut, noticing that it felt hot to the touch. He quickly healed the cut with a flick of his wand, before he gave his son a sharp look, taking in his glassy eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Gaoithe, you're burning up," he said, laying a cold hand on his son's forehead. He turned to Lars and asked him to accompany Gaoithe to Madam Pomfrey, promising that he would give him full points for the potion that so far looked correctly brewed.

Feeling too bad to deny or protest, Gaoithe obediently left the classroom and walked through the empty halls together with Lars.

"Gaoithe, you're lucky that you can stay at Hogwarts during the summer and have such a caring father," Lars suddenly spoke up, causing Gaoithe to throw him a surprised look. "I only have my father, and he is a Muggle. He doesn't overly like me. I'm glad that I'm at Hogwarts now, but it's too bad that I have to go home for such a long time."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Gaoithe said softly. "I know how happy I can be to have found such a nice home, and I can understand you well. Maybe you can come and visit me for a week, if your father allows it. I'll ask Dad later on."

Gaoithe hesitantly took off his robes and showed Madam Pomfrey his arm, causing the Healer to let out an exasperated sigh. "Gaoithe, since when did you have this injury?" she asked sternly.

"Err... Friday evening," Gaoithe supplied and hesitantly told Poppy what had happened.

"You should know that you have to come to me immediately," she scolded him lightly. "If you had come on Friday, I'd have quickly mended the cuts on your arm and sent you on your way. I wouldn't have told your father about the matter. Now however, your arm became infected and you're running a fever. I will heal your arm, but you'll still have to stay here for the rest of today, so that we have to tell your father what happened."

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe said, terrified, feeling very reassured that Lars stayed with him while Poppy mended the cuts and applied a healing cream that made him so drowsy that he drifted off to sleep.

When Gaoithe's mind turned back to awareness, Severus was sitting on a chair next to his bed, reading a Potions journal.

"Poppy, Gaoithe is awake," he told his colleague, before he turned to his son. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Gaoithe replied, realising that he felt as good as new.

After a quick check-up, he was released and hesitantly walked home next to his father, sensing that Severus was very angry. When they arrived in their quarters, the Potions Master scribbled a small note and handed it to Yuki. "Please flash to Gryffindor and give this to the Weasley twins. Thank you."

#All right,# Yuki trilled and flashed away, while Gaoithe anxiously followed his father into his office, waiting for the punishment that was sure to come. '_If he'd even began to scold me right away_,' he mused, fidgeting in his seat behind his father's desk, '_but this silence is much worse_.'

After what seemed to be a very long time, the twins knocked and entered the Potions Master's office. Severus motioned them to sit next to Gaoithe, before he began to speak in a stern voice.

"I deem the two of you very responsible. Therefore, I assume that you didn't know that Gaoithe was injured by pieces of glass of a broken butterbeer bottle on Friday evening."

The twins looked at him in shock, before they turned to Gaoithe, who averted his eyes to the floor.

"No sir..."

"... otherwise, we'd have taken him to you or Madam Pomfrey," they replied firmly.

"That's what I thought," Severus said, more to himself than to the twins, and told the boys what had happened, before he informed them, "The three of you will serve three evenings of detention with me, one for clearly breaking the rules, one for being so stupid as not to carry your butterbeer with magical means, and one for not making sure that no one is injured."

"Yes sir," three small voices could be heard.

"You can deem yourselves lucky, gentlemen," Severus continued, "that I am not going to inform your Head of House about the matter... this time. Otherwise, your punishment would certainly be more severe and probably even involve your mother."

"Thank you sir," the twins said simultaneously, looking gratefully at the professor.

"You will begin tomorrow night after dinner. Gaoithe is still running a slight temperature, and I had to promise Madam Pomfrey to send him to bed right away," the professor explained and dismissed the twins, before he motioned for his son to follow him into the living room. "We're going to have dinner here tonight, and then you will go to bed," he said firmly.

"I'm not hungry," Gaoithe replied in a small voice, feeling absolutely terrible at the thought of having caused the twins three evenings of detention. '_As much as I love detentions, they need the evenings to do their homework or have fun in the common room_,' he thought.

"You have to eat something," Severus insisted and ordered Cicero to bring dinner for the two of them. "Gaoithe," Severus said in a stern but not angry voice, "if the Weasley twins or someone else play a prank or do something that is clearly against the rules, they have to think about all possible consequences in advance. Only if they are sure that they can live with the consequences, they can pull through with their plan. I can understand that you wanted to save the twins from a possible punishment; however, if someone gets injured while doing something forbidden, it has to be the first priority to have someone heal the injury, independently of the question if their actions will be revealed or not. If you had told me on Friday evening, you and the twins probably would have served one detention, nothing more. Now however, you spent a full day in the hospital wing, and the punishment for the three of you is much harsher. I hope you'll behave more reasonably when you're going to become a student in three months' time."

"Yes Dad, I'm sorry," Gaoithe replied miserably.

"Very well then. Eat up and go to bed," Severus said in a softer voice.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe could hardly sleep that night. The thought, '_How could I be so stupid? Now the twins have to do three detentions just because of me_,' kept him awake.

Severus noticed in concern that he couldn't hear any sounds from the boy's room. Normally, Gaoithe used to snore slightly, but the lack of the regular sounds made him quietly look in on the boy every now and then. By the time he wanted to go to bed, Gaoithe had yet to fall asleep. Severus entered his son's room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Gaoithe, what's wrong?" he asked softly, gently laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Gaoithe slowly turned around to face his father, who noticed in shock that his son's face was tear-stricken. "Dad, is there any way that I can serve twice the amount of detentions and you let the twins off? It's not their fault."

"No Gaoithe," Severus replied sternly. "I assume that it was not your idea to go to Hogsmeade but the twins', and I think they should have made sure that you weren't injured after your accident."

"But they did," Gaoithe protested urgently. "They asked me if I was all right several times. If I hadn't been so stupid, no one would have known about the matter at all. Please don't punish them."

"You went on your trip together, and you will undergo your punishment together. If you don't want to fall asleep during your detention tomorrow, I suggest that you sleep now. It's two o'clock in the morning."

"I'll try," Gaoithe replied, trying in vain to push the thought of the upcoming detention from his mind.

"Good night, Gaoithe," Severus said and pressed a kiss on the boy's forehead, relieved that it didn't feel warm anymore. Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, he spelled a light calming draught into his son's stomach as he left the room, knowing that it would make his son overcome his worries about the detentions and sleep soon.

風の力を持つハリー

"You will clean out the ingredients cupboard, check the dates on all the phials and arrange them in alphabetical order," Severus informed the three boys that were standing in front of him.

"Yes sir," Gaoithe and the twins replied and immediately set to work, realising soon that they would only be able to finish their task within three evenings if they did their best. However, as bad as Gaoithe felt towards the twins, he couldn't help admitting that it was fun to have detentions with them, even if they had to work hard to properly clean the cupboard.


	12. Chapter 12

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Too soon for Gaoithe's liking, the school year was over and all of his friends travelled home for the summer. '_On the one hand, it's sad that they'll all be away for two months; on the other hand, when they come back I'll be a student too_,' he thought, getting very excited.

Two weeks into the holidays, Lars visited Gaoithe for a week, and the two boys had much fun exploring unused parts of the school building. '_A pity that I won't be able to attend classes together with Lars anymore, because he's going to be a second year soon_,' Gaoithe thought sadly, when his friend returned home. A week later, the twins came to visit him for another week, and Hermione came to see him for shorter visits every now and then, while Luna stayed with her aunt for a whole month.

"Your schedule is as busy as that of a Headmaster," Severus laughed one day. "Do you have time to assist me brewing potions for the hospital wing?"

"Of course," Gaoithe replied chuckling, looking up in surprise when his father announced that they were going to travel to Diagon Alley in the morning to buy his school supplies.

In the morning, dark clouds were covering the sky, and it rained cats and dogs in London, so that Severus and Gaoithe hurried through Diagon Alley in order to finish their shopping as fast as possible.

"Dad, do I really have to use a wand?" Gaoithe asked quietly when their returned home. It had been difficult to find a wand that matched him at all, and he had already been fed up by the matter, when they finally found one.

"Gaoithe, wandless magic is a very rare ability. Do you really want to attract everyone's attention by using it in class all the time?" Severus raised an eyebrow, noticing that Gaoithe threw him a shocked look.

"Oh, I didn't think about that," he replied in a small voice. "Of course not. Dad, can you teach me how to use a wand?"

Using a wand was much more difficult than Gaoithe could imagine, and Severus was glad that they had addressed the problem at that time. When he first showed Gaoithe how to summon a book from the shelf, a pile of several dozen books crashed on the table in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe apologized, horrified.

"You don't have to apologize," Severus said calmingly. "Your magic is very strong, and in order to cast wandless spells, you have to release quite an amount of magic each time. However, if you use a wand, you must be careful to not put so much magic into a spell. We'll practise wand magic during the next weeks."

Gaoithe absolutely hated having to use his wand; however, by the end of the holidays, he was capable of restraining his magic enough to use it. He sighed in relief when Severus told him that he had practised enough.

"Now Gaoithe, during the last week of the holidays, you won't do any school work, nor will you help me in the lab. Draco will come to visit you tomorrow morning. He is going to stay until Sunday, and I want you to really enjoy the last days of your holidays."

"Draco is going to stay for a week?" Gaoithe asked in surprise. "Wow, that's too cool."

Since the weather was not overly good, the two boys spent much time exploring the castle. Behind the Ravenclaw tower, they found a whole wing of the castle that seemed to be unused.

"Let's see if we find anything interesting," Draco suggested, and Gaoithe nodded eagerly, feverishly thinking of a cleaning spell. They carefully tried to clean the dusty corridors, before they walked ahead, realising that the deserted part of the castle was larger than they had assumed.

'_I wonder if this part of Hogwarts is on the Marauders' map_,' Gaoithe thought. The twins had returned the map to him, stating that he should have it, now that he was going to become a student at Hogwarts. However, Gaoithe didn't want to use it in front of Draco, knowing that the boy wasn't supposed to know about his true identity.

When Draco took the Floo home, Gaoithe turned to Severus. "Dad, do you perhaps know a spell to change the 'Harry Potter' on the Marauders' Map to 'Gaoithe Snape'?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I thought that would have changed when I blood adopted you. Unfortunately, I am not very good at Charms," he said thoughtfully. "Professor Flitwick would surely be able to do something about it; however, are you willing to let him in on your secret?"

"If you think he'll keep it to himself," Gaoithe replied hesitantly.

"He will," Severus reassured him, absentmindedly playing with the cork of an empty phial. "Gaoithe, there is still something else that needs to be addressed before the beginning of the school year," he said hesitantly. "Your scar. It will be difficult to hide it from the boys in your dormitory with a salve or a spell that has to be renewed every day. Therefore, Minerva, the Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey and I want to try casting a charm on it and hope that it'll remain invisible for a longer time. If Professor Flitwick knew about your true identity, I'd even suggest requiring his help as well in order for the charm to be as strong as possible."

Gaoithe agreed, and Severus talked with his colleague, who borrowed the map for a few days, promising to come up with an idea. On the last day of the holidays, the teachers gathered in the Headmaster's office and simultaneously cast an ancient concealment charm on Gaoithe's scar. '_Thank Merlin it's over_,' Gaoithe mused when the adults finally let their wands sink.

"Gaoithe, you still have to look at your forehead every day. None of us knows how strong the charm is and when your scar might reappear," the Headmaster said firmly, offering Gaoithe a lemon drop.

"Thank you," Gaoithe replied, chuckling, and helped himself for once. "Thank you so much for doing this for me, Professors," he added, before he popped the sweet into his mouth.

"Very well, I'll see you at two o'clock for the staff meeting," Dumbledore said and dismissed everyone.

While Severus headed to his meeting right after lunch, Gaoithe decided to once more explore the unused part of the castle. Professor Flitwick had returned the map to him, and Gaoithe was not very surprised to see that the unused wing was not on it. He quietly walked through the empty corridors, glad that Draco and he had thoroughly cleaned them, but somehow he realised that it was no fun to explore the castle just on his own. '_A pity that Draco couldn't remain here until tomorrow;_ _dad could have taken us to King's Cross together_,' he mused, when suddenly a thought crossed his mind. At first it seemed absurd, but after a few more minutes of roaming the castle just by himself, he decided, '_I'll flash to Hermione and ask her if she wants to explore the castle together. She'll probably love it, and no one can see us if we remain here in the unused part_.'

He transformed into his phoenix form, concentrated on Hermione and flashed. When the wind around him became calm again, he curiously looked around, finding himself in the Grangers' living room, where Hermione was just having tea together with her family. Knowing that her parents were aware of his phoenix form, Harry hesitantly transformed back and apologised profusely for intruding like that. '_I should have flashed to the entrance door and rang the bell_,' he realised, but it was too late. All of a sudden, he felt very stupid.

"Gaoithe!" Mr. Granger exclaimed, looking at the boy in disbelief.

"Well, that is a surprise. How nice of you to visit us. Hermione can't wait to go to Hogwarts tomorrow," Mrs. Granger said kindly. "Come, sit here and have some tea."

Before Gaoithe could even reply, Hermione swept around the table and pulled him into a bear hug. "Gaoithe, I'm so glad you came. I have so many questions. How long is the train ride going to last? Will we get something to eat on the train? Will we..."

"Can't breathe," Gaoithe mumbled, causing the girl to let go in shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Gaoithe. I was just so excited to see you," she said, eyeing him in concern. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Gaoithe replied, chuckling. '_Hermione is too funny_,' he thought. "Um...err... I wondered if you would like to come and explore the castle for an hour or two. And... um... we can talk if you have questions, which I can answer," he added quietly.

Hermione turned to her parents. "May I go? Please, Mum, Dad."

"Of course you may," Mrs. Granger said gently. "Gaoithe, be careful flashing together."

"I will," Gaoithe promised, glad that the Grangers had become used to him flashing Hermione to Hogwarts and back. "Are you ready?" he asked and, seeing his friend nod, he transformed, waited until she had gripped his tail feathers and flashed away, concentrating on the unused wing at Hogwarts.

"Gaoithe, where are we?" Hermione screamed in shock when they arrived in a completely dark place.

"I have no idea," Gaoithe replied anxiously and quickly waved his hand, "Lumos."

"This resembles one of the common rooms you showed me earlier this summer, but it's completely dirty," Hermione stated in surprise.

"That was the Ravenclaw common room," Gaoithe replied absentmindedly, looking around with excitement. He quickly cast a cleaning spell at the room, efficiently getting rid of all the dust.

Hermione stepped over to one side of the room, from where she could see faint light. "Oh look, Gaoithe. This side has windows; they're just covered by curtains," she said, eagerly trying to pull the curtains open. "Wow, they're very heavy."

"Wait, let me try," Gaoithe said thoughtfully and magically moved the curtains aside, causing bright sunshine to stream into the room. "You're right. This looks like the Ravenclaw common room, but the colours are different. The Ravenclaw common room is mainly kept in blue, but this one is completely white, except from the tapestry over there."

Hermione followed his eyes to the opposite side of the room, where the wall was covered by a huge tapestry that was kept in light pastel colours and held a scene with many animals. "Magical animals," she realised. "Gaoithe, this room is absolutely gorgeous, but where are we?"

Gaoithe had to agree completely. "That's true, and I have no idea." He stepped over to the tapestry and addressed the animals. "Excuse me, but what is this room here? Where are we?"

#The Merlin common room, where else?# the phoenix replied.

=Thank you so much for cleaning this room. No one ever came here for several hundred years,= the griffin replied gratefully, lazily stretching its wings.

"This is the common room of Merlin House, the fifth Hogwarts House," a three headed snake hissed.

"The fifth Hogwarts House?" Gaoithe asked in disbelief.

=The Founders made this House for those, whom the Hat couldn't sort into one of the Founders' Houses,= a unicorn informed him.

"I've never heard of this House," Gaoithe said thoughtfully, turning to Hermione, who looked wide-eyed at the tapestry.

"Wow, Gaoithe, this is wonderful. There is a fifth House, and probably no one knows about it. Let's go and see where exactly we are, and then we can go to the library and do some research. I want to know when and why it was abandoned," she said, excitedly.

"All right," Gaoithe agreed, glancing around. "That seems to be a portrait hole," he realised, pointing to one side of the room. Unfortunately, the painting, which apparently had once been guarding the room, was deserted. However, when Gaoithe addressed the empty portrait, "Could you open and let us out please?" a phoenix jumped into the painting.

#Oh my, guests,# it trilled happily. #Don't leave; stay here with us. This House has been abandoned for a far too long time.#

"We will come back," Gaoithe reassured him and stepped out into the hall, realising that he had been at exactly that part of the corridor just before he flashed away to fetch Hermione. '_I didn't notice this entrance earlier_,' he thought, turning around to the girl. "Shall I flash us to the library?"

"Let's walk," Hermione replied eagerly. "I want to know where we are."

Gaoithe agreed, and the two friends walked to the library, where they spent the rest of the afternoon, feverishly searching for information about the Merlin House.

"I don't understand it," Hermione suddenly said in an upset voice, stomping a foot on the ground. "We have been searching for ages now and didn't find anything. That's just too frustrating!"

Gaoithe sighed. "That's true," he said sadly. "Oh well, from tomorrow onwards you're going to live here in the castle just like me. We can come back and look for information at any time. I can also ask my father if he knows anything." He looked at his wrist watch that showed him that it was nearly six o'clock in the evening and that his father was in his private lab. "I think it's time for me to take you back home, Mione. I'll see you again tomorrow morning."

"All right," Hermione agreed. "I can't wait to finally board the Hogwarts Express. I'm so excited," she admitted, causing Gaoithe to chuckle.

'_Who would have believed that?_' he thought, raising an eyebrow at his friend in a very Snape-ish manner. Seeing that the girl was looking at him in expectation, he quickly transformed and flashed her back to her home, before he flashed back into his own room, where he changed into his human form and went to see his father.

"Ah Gaoithe, good that you're here," Severus greeted him with apparent relief. "Can you assist, please? The Headmaster came down with a very rare magical disease, the pixie flu, and I have to brew the antidote for him as well as a preventive potion for everyone else."

"Of course," Gaoithe replied, and for the next few hours, he helped his father with the potions, so engrossed in the brewing process that he completely forgot to ask about Merlin House.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe entered the living room in the morning, Fawkes was sitting on his perch, animatedly talking to Yuki. Gaoithe feigned a groan. "Don't teach Yuki all of your pranks," he lightly scolded the older phoenix, who replied with a happy trill.

#I won't, nestling. I just couldn't bare being in the Headmaster's office anymore. The Headmaster is back to health and bursting with energy. He is just driving me crazy. And the Sorting Hat is complaining that he has a headache and doesn't want to sort the first years tonight. He is trying to talk Albi into making me sort everyone; so I think I'm going to make myself rare today.#

Gaoithe couldn't help chuckling at the bird's antics. "Where would you sort me, if you had to sort the students tonight?" he asked curiously.

#Hmm, that's difficult. You'd fit everywhere. However, considering that the teachers are having a bet about the matter, I'd probably sort you into Gryffindor, because Minnie always gives me the nicest phoenix treats,# Fawkes replied thoughtfully.

Gaoithe groaned in annoyance at the bird's reasoning, but before he could reply, Severus entered the living room.

"Good morning, Gaoithe. Hello Fawkes, how is your boss this morning?" he asked immediately at the sight of the fire phoenix.

#He is much too well for all of our sake,# Fawkes trilled, and Gaoithe quickly translated for his father, causing the man to smirk.

"Very well then, Gaoithe, let's go and have breakfast. Afterwards, I'll take you to King's Cross."

Gaoithe happily agreed, although he was much too excited to eat anything. '_Why don't they let the train leave early in the morning?_' he wondered. '_I bet everyone is as thrilled as I, considering how agitated Hermione was already yesterday_.' He absentmindedly listened to the teachers' ramblings, lost in thoughts about the strange common room he had discovered together with Hermione. The time passed much too slow for his liking, but finally, his wrist watch showed ten o'clock, and Severus suggested to apparate to King's Cross.

"Have fun on the train," the cat professor said softly, conjuring a livid conversation as all the teachers began to speak about their own first train ride simultaneously.

Gaoithe chuckled as he left the Great Hall behind his father, who strode ahead with his robes proudly billowing behind him. "Dad, will you tell me about your first train ride?" he asked on the way down to the apparition point, causing Severus to throw him a surprised look.

"There is not much to tell, Gaoithe. Your mother and I were lucky. We had a compartment just for ourselves and spent the whole time reading, talking and playing wizard's chess. I especially loved the boat ride afterwards though. That was the best part." He let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, for you everything will be much easier. You already have several friends, and you know Hogwarts and the teachers. And if you ever have problems, remember that I'm here for you and that you have your own home at Hogwarts. Just come home whenever you want."

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said gratefully, allowing himself to be pulled into a bear hug, before Severus apparated them to the station.

"Gaoithe!" Hermione was the first to discover him, right before Draco stepped over and pulled Gaoithe and Hermione onto the train and into the first compartment that was nearly empty.

'_I just hope he won't use the evil word again that upset Hermione so much when they met the last time_,' Gaoithe mused, curiously eyeing the boy, who was already sitting next to the window. '_He looks nice_,' he thought and began to introduce himself.

"Hello, I'm Gaoithe, and these are my friends Hermione and Draco," Gaoithe said hesitantly.

"Hello Gaoithe, I am Neville Longbottom," the other boy replied, throwing Gaoithe a shy smile.

"Longbottom?" Gaoithe asked thoughtfully. "Oh, I know; you must be the grandson of Professor McGonagall's friend. She told me about you, and she always promised to invite you, but either she or your grandmother was always busy."

"Where do you think you're going to be sorted?" Hermione asked eagerly, just when another boy and a girl entered the compartment and introduced themselves as Susan Bones and Blaise Zabini.

"Probably Hufflepuff," Neville replied, giving her a sad look. "My granny always thinks I'm nearly a Squib, because my magic is very weak."

Gaoithe looked at the boy sympathetically. "Madam Pomfrey, the Healer at Hogwarts, told me that there are stages of magic in people's development. For example, when children become eleven, their magic progresses, and then again when they turn sixteen. But she said it can happen a few months earlier or later. So maybe your magic will still develop," he said kindly.

"I'll probably be sorted into Hufflepuff too," Susan said, looking questioningly at Hermione.

"Probably Ravenclaw, although I'd prefer Gryffindor, because I like Professor McGonagall very much, and she must be a wonderful Head of House," Hermione replied firmly.

Draco lifted an eyebrow, before he said, "Slytherin. At least that is what my family expects from me... Although I'd like being together with Gaoithe," he added as an afterthought.

"I have no idea," Blaise admitted, shrugging.

"I don't want to be sorted at all. I just want to be able to study and to remain friends with everyone, independent of their House," Gaoithe said thoughtfully.

By the time they reached Hogsmeade, the six students had spent several hours of talking, reading and looking for Neville's toad, and Gaoithe felt as if he had already gained three new friends. Together with Hermione, Draco and Neville he climbed into one of the boats that took the first years to the castle.

"Wow, this is so cool," Gaoithe blurted out as Hogwarts came into sight. "Dad was right; the boat ride is the best."

Too soon, they reached Hogwarts, and Gaoithe walked up a flight of stairs together with the large group of first years. The cat professor was waiting for them and led them in the small antechamber of the Great Hall, where she shortly explained about the four Houses of Hogwarts. Gaoithe couldn't suppress a small chuckle at the teacher's stern expression. '_She really looks intimidating_,' he thought, giggling.

"Mr. Snape, are there any problems?" McGonagall asked with a stern glare.

"No, I'm sorry, Professor," Gaoithe replied quickly at the professor's look that seemed to be able to curdle his blood and resolved to never ever get on the bad side of the cat professor.

McGonagall excused herself after instructing them to wait for a moment. However, it took quite a while until she came back, and Gaoithe had the impression as if she was in distress.

"I am sorry for making you wait for so long," the Scottish lioness said firmly, "we're having some problems with the Sorting Hat tonight. Anyway, follow me into the Great Hall now."

'_Oh right_,' Gaoithe remembered what Fawkes had told him in the morning. '_I wonder if they manage to bribe the Hat into sorting us_.'

Gaoithe walked next to Hermione, while Neville ran ahead, trying to catch his toad, before the group stopped right in front of the Head table. Gaoithe looked at Severus, who threw him a calming look and thought to him, 'Everything will be all right, son.' Gaoithe nodded and turned his eyes to the Headmaster, who was deeply engrossed in a discussion with the Sorting Hat and Fawkes.

Finally, Dumbledore nodded towards Professor McGonagall, and she placed the Sorting Hat on its stool. Gaoithe expected him to sing his song, which was told to be slightly different every year; however, the hat began to spoke in a quiet voice.

"I am not in the mood to sing today. Yesterday, something happened that gave me a bad headache, but since no one is willing to take my part today, I'll make it short. There are five Houses, one for those that stupidly run straight into danger, one for the cuddly ones, one for the know-it-alls, one for the slimy ones and one for the indecisive ones. Now let's begin, and don't try to talk to me. I am the one who makes the decisions." With that the Hat quietened.


	13. Chapter 13

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Everyone looked at McGonagall in expectation. The Deputy Headmistress stood there with a long parchment in her hands, glancing at the Headmaster in confusion. Gaoithe, who was standing nearby, heard her mumble something like, "Stupid old piece of cloth gone nuts."

"Now begin," the Hat snarled.

"Sopho, behave yourself," the Headmaster chided him slightly, before he nodded at the cat professor.

"Bones, Susan," McGonagall read from her parchment.

Gaoithe threw his new friend an encouraging look as she glanced around, before she hesitantly sat on the stool. As soon as the cat professor placed the Hat on her head, he shouted into the Hall, "Merlin."

"Sopho, behave yourself, "Dumbledore repeated sternly, "and properly sort the first years."

"I just sorted the first student," the Hat growled, and with a huge 'pop' a fifth House table appeared next to the Gryffindor table, provoking a multiple huge gasp.

Gaoithe and Hermione exchanged a knowing look, while Dumbledore asked Severus for a headache potion, before he explained very slowly with a pensive expression on his face, "There is a fifth House, the Merlin House. I only received the information about this House this very minute, but I'll try to explain..."

Gaoithe chuckled inwardly as he observed Madam Pomfrey unobtrusively feel the Headmaster's forehead, before she looked at McGonagall and shook her head, while Dumbledore continued, "The Founders themselves invented Merlin House for those, who didn't fit into any of the four other Houses or would have fit into all of them because they were especially open-minded. However, the House was always said to be mysterious, and often strange things happened to its students. It was finally abandoned in 1627 when a group of its students were said to have passed away for an unknown reason. The House was closed and all information about it was banned from Hogwarts. Only yesterday, it seems to have been re-discovered, and now that I as the Headmaster have been made aware of the House, all the information about it has been released from its ban. I assume that you'll be able to inform yourself about the House if you look into a self-updating volume of '_Hogwarts: A History'_. Professor McGonagall and Sopho, please continue with the Sorting. Ms. Bones, please take a seat at the Merlin table over there." He pointed to the new House table, before he sat down again.

'_Wow, that's too cool. Hermione and I discovered it_,' Gaoithe mused, feeling very excited and just a little proud. '_I hope Sopho is going to sort Hermione and me into the new House, although it'll be a little sad to not have any older students. We probably wouldn't even be able to set up a Quidditch team_.'

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the cat professor called, "Granger, Hermione."

"Good luck," Gaoithe whispered to his friend and observed how she hesitantly sat on the stool.

"Merlin," the Hat shouted once again as soon as he even touched Hermione's bushy hair.

Gaoithe watched his friend walk over to join Susan at the new House table with a huge smile on her face. He saw with interest how Neville and Draco were sorted into Merlin as well, before the cat professor finally called his name. "Snape, Gaoithe."

Flashing a smile to his father at the Head table, who seemed to be as stunned at the new development at Hogwarts as his colleagues, Gaoithe stepped over to Professor McGonagall, who motioned for him to sit on the stool. Gaoithe obliged and felt the Hat touch his head. Suddenly, a faint voice penetrated his ears.

'_Ah, it is you to whom I owe this terrible headache. You're too curious and too slimy for your own good. Of course, being friends with that feathered duster of Fawkes will do that to a boy. But I'm going to get my revenge, and you won't like it_.'

Gaoithe groaned inwardly. '_Can't the stupid old rag just sort me wherever it thinks I'd fit?_' he thought impatiently, wondering where the Hat was going to sort him assuming that he wouldn't like it.

'_I AM NOT AN OLD RAG_,' the Hat thought back angrily, before he shouted into the Hall, "Merlin."

"I think it's time to think about a new Sorting method," Gaoithe mumbled to the cat professor as he tore the Hat from his head and handed it back, causing the teacher to nod her agreement.

"Stupid Gryffindors," the Hat mumbled in obvious annoyance, and Gaoithe quickly turned around, facing the Merlin table, happy that all of his friends had been sorted there as well.

The Hat sorted Ron Weasley into Gryffindor and Blaise Zabini into Merlin, before he spoke aloud, "Head of House for Merlin shall be..." The edges of his cramp pulled upwards to an evil smile before he continued, "Poppy Pomfrey."

Everyone looked at the Hat in surprise, and a multiple gasp could be heard.

"Sopho, we use to assign professors as Heads of House and not Healers," Dumbledore spoke up thoughtfully.

"This House is special, and considering how dangerous it is you better have a Healer as the Head. Moreover, you should make Pomfrey a professor and make the NEWT students attend Healing classes and figure out what to do against my headache," the Hat hissed back. "And now leave me in peace."

#I know what to do against your headache,# Fawkes trilled, smirking. #You can join me for my next burning day. Gaoithe, translate please.#

Gaoithe chuckled and translated for everyone to hear, causing a huge fight between Fawkes and Sopho to begin that only ended when McGonagall took the Hat in determination and carried it out of the Hall.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, chuckling, causing the whole Merlin table that only consisted of eight students to laugh.

Apart from Gaoithe, Hermione, Neville, Draco, Susan and Blaise, Millicent Bulstrode and Mandy Brocklehurst had been sorted into the new House. '_We're eight, so in fact enough to build up a Quidditch team_,' Gaoithe mused, '_although Hermione doesn't like to fly_.'

"I love being together with all of you; although it's a bit sad that we don't have any older students in our House," he said quietly. "Would you all be willing to put up a Quidditch team together?"

"First years aren't allowed to play Quidditch," Hermione reminded him sternly, "and with a Healer as Head of House it's the question if we will be allowed to play at all."

Gaoithe couldn't help laughing. "I know for a fact that Madam Pomfrey is as fond of playing Quidditch as Professor McGonagall. We should try to talk them into skipping that stupid first year rule though, considering that our House won't be able to participate in the Quidditch matches if we aren't allowed to play."

"Let's ask your father later on," Draco suggested, turning around when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Madam Pomfrey. "Hello and welcome to the Merlin House. The house-elves have prepared a connecting door from my office to your common room. However, does by chance any of you know where the entrance to Merlin House is?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey. Hermione and I know where it is," Gaoithe replied quietly, noticing that the Healer's expression turned to a smile.

"I thought it could have only been you to discover an ancient House, Gaoithe," she chuckled, causing Gaoithe to blush and everyone else to laugh. "Well then, please lead us to the House right after dinner. We will have a House meeting to discuss several things, before I will meet with the Headmaster and the other Heads of House to speak about our new and unexpected situation."

"She seems to be very nice," Neville spoke up shyly. "My granny told me that she was Professor McGonagall's and her best friend when they were students here."

"They still are, and yes, she is very nice. If the Sorting Hat would have really wanted to anger me, he should have made Professor Binns, the ghost, or Professor Quirrell our Head. I don't like him very much. He stutters, and sometimes my head begins to hurt when I look at him. He is very strange," Gaoithe said quietly. He looked at the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, immediately feeling a sharp pain in his head.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" Hermione asked in concern, noticing that he gripped his forehead in pain.

"Yes of course," Gaoithe replied firmly.

To Gaoithe's relief, the feast was over uncharacteristically early, probably because the teachers had much to discuss about the new House. He led the small group to the entrance of Merlin House.

#Password?# the phoenix guarding the portrait hole queried, and Gaoithe translated quickly, looking at the Healer in expectation.

"Home," she said simply, and the portrait opened.

'_Wow, the house-elves did a good job thoroughly cleaning the House_,' Gaoithe thought in amazement at how cosy and inviting the room looked. However, when he glanced at the painting with the animals, many of them simultaneously began to speak at him in their different tongues.

'_What the heck..._' Gaoithe thought as he tried to understand what seemed to be a mixture of warnings and advice.

Pomfrey motioned for them to sit in a circle on the comfortable looking sofas and chairs and began to speak.

"Welcome to Merlin House. Being the Head of this House is as unexpected for me as it is for you to have been sorted here. I believe that it might take some time to figure out what it means to be in this House. Personally, I think that it is a bit sad to not have any older students here; however, I will speak with my colleagues about the matter and ask if there is any possibility to re-sort older students, who would be willing to change to Merlin."

"That's a brilliant idea. Thank you, Professor Pomfrey," Gaoithe threw in, noticing that his seven classmates nodded eagerly.

"I have thought of a few House rules; however, there might be more, which I will add upon realising that they're needed," the Healer continued. "Independent from the school's curfew, Merlin House has its own curfew, which is at nine o'clock; in case we get older students from fifth year onwards, their curfew will be at ten o'clock. Bedtime and lights out is eleven o'clock for everyone. See that you keep to these times. If you can't manage to finish your homework by then, you may come to my office before your bed time and speak with me. The door over there leads straight into my office." She pointed to a barely visible door right next to the painting with the animals.

"I expect you to be on time at all times. You have to attend breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Great Hall, and of course you must be in your classrooms punctually. If you are ill or for some other reason unable to be on time, you must come and inform me immediately. If you feel unwell, I expect you to come to me immediately, before you make yourself worse or get all of your housemates sick as well. I will try to spend at least thirty minutes in the common room every night to give you a chance to speak with me about school matters or private topics. However, depending on the situation in the hospital wing, I might not always be able to come here."

"We can all understand that, Professor," Hermione said kindly.

"Provided that I can get away from the hospital wing, we're going to hold a House meeting here in the common room every Friday evening at eight o'clock. Everyone has to attend. The only excuse would be to be in the hospital wing. Do you have any questions?"

Gaoithe was the first to speak up. "Can we somehow break the rule that first years are not allowed to play on their House team and have a Quidditch team please? Otherwise, our House won't be able to play at all, so..." He unsurely trailed off.

Pomfrey let out a long sigh, mumbling something about spending the rest of the weekends in the hospital wing, but finally said, "All right; I will ask my colleagues, but I think it would only be fair to allow you to play, provided that you have seven players?" She looked into the small faces of the eleven-year-olds.

Six of the eight students raised their hands – everyone except for Hermione and Neville. Hermione sighed. "I don't overly like flying, but if the sake of our House depends on it, I'd be willing to participate."

"I've never flown before, but I can try," Neville spoke up in a small voice. "I don't know if I can fly at all though, because my magic is not very strong."

"I don't think that there is anything wrong with your magic, Mr. Longbottom. Come to me tomorrow after your last afternoon class, and we'll check what might be wrong," Pomfrey replied gently. "All right then; I'll speak with the others," she promised, glancing around. "Any more questions?"

"What is the symbol of our House, I mean like the snake for Slytherin or the badger for Hufflepuff?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"As far as the Headmaster told me during dinner, it is a phoenix, a white phoenix like Gaoithe's Yuki."

Everyone looked at Gaoithe, who looked back, startled, and quietly called his familiar. "Yuki."

With a small splash of ice, the young phoenix landed on his shoulder, fondly nibbling his earlobe, causing everyone to laugh when Gaoithe wiped small pieces of ice from his cheek.

"I have another question," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Professor Dumbledore said something about this House being dangerous and that people died in this House. Did he explain what is dangerous or why students died here?"

"No, Ms. Granger; the Headmaster apparently doesn't have any further information. Just be very careful, all of you," Pomfrey replied sternly, throwing Gaoithe a warning look, before she rose from her seat. "Very well then, let's go and see where the dormitories are." She chose the left of the two staircases at the end of the room and opened the first door. '_First year boys_,' the inscription said. The torches on both sides of the room lit automatically as the small group entered the dormitory. "The house-elves already brought your luggage. Make yourselves comfortable, and I suggest that you head to bed early tonight. The girls please follow me to your dormitory. Good night, boys."

"Good night, Professor Pomfrey," the four boys replied, before they looked for their beds. '_I like this room_,' Gaoithe thought, glancing around in amazement. The dormitory looked similar to those in Gryffindor and Slytherin, which were the only dormitories he had ever visited before; however, the walls and the furniture were kept in white, while the curtains around the beds had pastel colours. The wall opposite the entrance was one very large window, and Gaoithe realised happily that his bed was the one right next to the window. Neville's bed was next to his own, while Draco and Blaise slept on the other side of the room.

"This dormitory is gorgeous, don't you think so?" Gaoithe asked, and the three others agreed immediately.

"I love Merlin House," Draco stated, "although my father is going to kill me for not being sorted into Slytherin."

"That's not your fault, Draco," Gaoithe said firmly.

"My Granny was sure I would be in Hufflepuff, while I would have preferred Gryffindor," Neville said shyly, "but I'm glad I ended up here."

"So am I," Blaise agreed, smiling. "It's just a bit sad without any older students, but Pomfrey seems to be a good Head of House, and maybe she can talk the Headmaster into re-sorting a few older students."

風の力を持つハリー

At the same time, the five Heads of House were gathered in the Headmaster's office, where Pomfrey just addressed the same topic.

"Poppy, I agree completely," McGonagall said sympathetically. "The students learn a lot from their older housemates."

"Very well then," Dumbledore agreed, "are you up to re-sorting a few older students, Sopho?"

"No," the Sorting Hat growled, "unless anyone sees fit to do anything about my headache."

"How about Fawkes?" Professor Flitwick threw in. "Couldn't he re-sort the students?"

Everyone followed Dumbledore's concerned look towards the phoenix's perch as he explained, "Unfortunately, Fawkes is not feeling well either. He must be very close to his burning day."

The good natured and funny phoenix was hunched on his perch, looking obviously miserable. His colour was dull, and he didn't wear the mischievous look they all knew all too well. All of a sudden, while the teachers were still watching him, Fawkes left his perch and hopped onto the shelf. Walking over to the Sorting Hat, he made himself comfortable on the Hat's large cramp, mere seconds before he burst into flames, causing the Hat to succumb to the flames, before Baby Fawkes appeared in the combined ash of his former self and the Hat.

"Well, that looks as if we had finally found a solution to this ludicrous and antiquated Sorting procedure," McGonagall said in apparent relief, when all of a sudden a Baby Hat popped into existence beside Baby Fawkes in the ashes.

The teachers let out a multiple groan, before Severus said dryly, "Since both of them seem to be slightly incapacitated at the moment, I suggest that we ask the students for volunteers. I can imagine that there will be more than enough students, who would appreciate being able to make a new start in a new House."

"Very well," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "However, I suggest that we only allow one student for each year from each House to change to Merlin."

"If there are so many who want to transfer at all," McGonagall said doubtfully.

"We'll see. We'll ask them tomorrow morning at breakfast, and if there are too many, we have to think about something," the Headmaster decided, before he turned to the Merlin Head of House. "Poppy, you must tell the students to be careful. As far as I know, there is no information available as to why so many students died in Merlin House."

"I already told them to be careful, and I'll do again," Pomfrey confirmed, nodding. "There is another issue the students asked me to discuss with you."

After a short discussion, her colleagues agreed to skip the regulation for the first years on the Quidditch team only for Merlin House and for this school year. However, the first years were not allowed to have their own brooms, and if they already had brooms, they could bring them to Hogwarts, provided that they left them in their Head's office and only used them for Quidditch practice and the matches. It was also decided that the Merlin students should attend classes together with the Gryffindors and Slytherins and that from that school year onwards, the Astronomy classes should take place at eight o'clock in the evening instead of midnight.

"Having eleven-year old students study at midnight is ridiculous," Pomfrey said firmly.

"I agree completely," Professor Sprout said. "During September, April and May, when it's still light at that time, the students can still have theoretical classes. It's not as if they were observing the stars all the time."

The teachers were about to end their meeting, when Severus spoke up thoughtfully. "What I can't understand is why Merlin House so suddenly popped back into existence. What exactly triggered it?"

"Apparently it was Gaoithe who discovered it. I didn't have a chance to ask him about the circumstances though," Pomfrey replied, chuckling at Severus' expression of annoyance. "However, it seems so very fitting," she added pensively. "He is a multiple Animagus, and the common room of Merlin House is dominated by a huge tapestry of magical animals. They were making quite a noise earlier. Moreover, the symbol of the House is a phoenix just like Gaoithe's main Animagus form. He seems to be predestined for discovering the House."

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Gaoithe woke up very early. '_I must speak with the animals in the painting_,' he remembered as he recalled the previous evening. '_I love being in this House with all these magical animals around. I'll probably be able to learn a lot about their kinds of animal, which might help me if I transform into them for some reason_.' Seeing that his three dorm mates were still fast asleep, he quickly scrambled out of bed and traipsed down into the common room.

"Good morning. Can you understand me if I'm in my human form?" he asked the animals.

#Of course we can understand you, because all of us are magical animals,# the phoenix trilled happily. #Congratulations for being sorted into Merlin House, the most wonderful House of Hogwarts.#

"Thank you," Gaoithe chuckled and transformed into his phoenix form. '_If the phoenix is the one who talks anyway, I can as well make myself comfortable in this form. It's strange to speak with a phoenix in my human form_,' he mused as he sat on the back of the sofa that was closest to the painting.

#Can you tell me,# he asked hesitantly as he absentmindedly began to meticulously clean his wing feathers, #what is so special about Merlin House? As far as I heard last night, it seems to be very dangerous.#

The phoenix chuckled. #Ah, but that's only for those who are greedy and evil. For pure souls like you, this House is a paradise. Not all the secrets will reveal themselves to you and your housemates right from the beginning though. You or your friends have to gain all the animals' trust first. Each of the animals has its own secret, which they will reveal to you or your housemates as they see fit, and you will be able to inform your friends about it. However, only tell those, whom you really know well enough. Otherwise, bad things can happen, very bad things.# He let out a sigh and fluffed his feathers, before he continued, #Oh well, considering that you're a fellow phoenix, I'm going to let you in on my secret right away. Phoenixes are always good, even if they might be as naughty as Fawkes.# He quickly told Gaoithe what had happened in the Headmaster's office in the evening.

#Will the Hat be all right?# Gaoithe asked in surprise.

#Sopho will be all right. People have tried to kill him before, but he is a strong piece of magic. He can't be killed. Oh, by the way, I am Marlin. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier.#

#Marlin,# Gaoithe repeated in surprise. #I am Gaoithe. Please tell me about your secret.#

#My secret,# Marlin began to explain with a mysterious expression on his face, #is the Room of Reversal.#

#The Room of Reversal?# Gaoithe asked in disbelief. #What is this room exactly, and where is it?#

Marlin looked at him sternly. #You will be able to see a door between the sixth years and the seventh years boys' dormitories. That leads to the Room of Reversal. Everything else is for you to find out. Now since I trusted you with my secret, I won't speak about the matter anymore.#

#Thank you so much for letting me in on your secret, Marlin. I really appreciate it,# Gaoithe replied, feeling very confused. '_The Room of Reversal sounds very mysterious. I wonder why everything is so secret here though. Anyway, I better not bring any of my friends, except for maybe Hermione. Who knows what can happen? Maybe that's where people died earlier_.'

風の力を持つハリー

All of a sudden, Gaoithe heard voices, and his classmates began to descend the stairs from the dormitories. He hurriedly transformed back into his human form.

"Oh, here you are. I wondered where you were," Neville greeted him, causing Gaoithe to smile.

"Good morning. I woke up early and decided to speak with the animals." He glanced at his wrist watch. "Oh, it's time for breakfast." '_And Dad is already in his classroom_,' he thought to himself.

The small group quickly walked to the Great Hall and occupied one end of the Merlin table, which seemed very huge to the eight first years.

When most of the students were assembled, the Headmaster rose from his chair. "Good morning, students. The five Heads of House decided last night to re-sort some of you into Merlin House," he came straight to the point. "Unfortunately, my familiar Fawkes saw fit to revenge his friend Gaoithe, who had a small dispute with Sopho at his Sorting, and Fawkes used his own burning day to not only turn himself into a baby but the Hat as well. Since the Baby Hat is not able to re-sort anyone, I must ask you now to consider if you would like to be re-sorted into Merlin House." With a flick of his wand, a small parchment and a quill appeared in front of each of the students except for the first years and the eight children sitting at the Merlin table.

"If you wish to transfer, please write your name on the parchment and hand it to your professors when they collect the parchments after breakfast. Only one student for each House from each year will be able to transfer, and in case there are more volunteers, your professors and I will decide. But now let's have breakfast first."

"Professor, one question," Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team spoke up, "will Merlin House have its own Quidditch team?"

"Yes, of course, Merlin House is going to have all the rights that any other House has," Dumbledore replied, smiling.

'_Did you have a good night in your new House?_' Severus' voice suddenly entered Gaoithe's thoughts, causing him to look at the Head table. He unobtrusively nodded at his father, before he returned the smiles from the cat professor and his Head of House.

Gaoithe and his friends had barely finished eating, when the Headmaster spoke up again. "Your Heads of House will now give you your time tables and collect your parchments. In case you're going to transfer to Merlin House, your time table will change automatically, and the new time tables will be valid from your first afternoon class onwards. We'll announce who is going to transfer at lunchtime."

Gaoithe looked at the time table Pomfrey handed him with interest.

"Wow, we really have Healing classes. It says '_only for Merlin House'_ though," Hermione blurted out eagerly. "And our first morning class is Transfiguration. We better hurry up."

Together with his housemates, Gaoithe left the Great Hall, only to run straight into the Weasley twins.

"Hey Gaoithe," they called him over. "We hope that Dumbledore will allow us to transfer together."

"Really? That would be so great!" Gaoithe said happily.

"Who would be so stupid as to willingly end up in the House of lingering death?" Ron Weasley sneered, standing behind the twins. "Mum is going to have a fit, and believe me, I'll tell her every detail."

"Oh just go to your first class, Ronniekins..."

"... and remember..."

"... you're only a first year," the twins said in a sing-song together, grinning at Gaoithe.

"Oh well, we're off to see the Headmaster," Fred said, while George showed Gaoithe a handful of phoenix treats.

"I don't know if he can eat any at the moment, but still..."

"... we hope that he'll be able to convince Dumbledore that the Merlin Quidditch team needs some proficient reinforcement." With that the twins dashed away.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe chuckled and, suddenly realising that he remained alone with Ronald Weasley, quickly transformed into his phoenix form. He flashed right in front of the Transfiguration classroom, grinning inwardly when the youngest brother of his best friends arrived ten minutes late. '_He could have asked me to show him the way before I transformed, but he didn't, and considering that he seems to hate me, it serves him right_,' he thought, inwardly giggling when the cat professor, who had been sitting on her desk in her cat form, suddenly transformed into her human form and offered to transfigure Ron into a watch.

If Gaoithe had been able to use telepathy like Severus, he would have sent his father grateful thoughts upon realising that he didn't have any problems using his wand. '_Thank Merlin he practised with me doing wand magic during the holidays_,' he thought as he easily transfigured his match into a shiny needle.

"Very well done, Mr. Snape," Professor McGonagall commended him and awarded five points to Merlin House. '_Our first House points_,' Gaoithe realised happily, noticing in surprise that no one else except for Hermione managed the Transfiguration during their first class. '_I didn't think it was so difficult, but maybe it is for students, who never cast spells before_,' he contemplated, looking up startled when everyone rose from their chairs. He had been so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the cat professor end the class and dismiss them.

"So many older siblings at Hogwarts and still unable to find the Transfiguration classroom, Weasley?" Draco suddenly sneered.

"Oh shut up, Malfoy. At least I'm not in a House, in which people use to die," Ron gave back and hurriedly left the classroom.

"Gaoithe, come on and show us where the Charms classroom is," Hermione threw in urgently, and Gaoithe led the class down to Professor Flitwick's classroom, once more inwardly thanking his father for practising with him during the summer.

The rest of the morning passed fairly uneventfully, except for a few comments from Ron. "Snape seems to believe he is special, being the son of a professor and sorted into Merlin House," he heard Ron say to Seamus, one of his Gryffindor classmates.

Gaoithe was just about to adequately reply, when he remembered the letter that Ron's sister had sent to him after Christmas, stating that her brother was probably jealous of Gaoithe. Looking into another direction, he decided to not show any reaction at all. '_I hope that the twins manage to convince Dumbledore to let them transfer to Merlin House_,' he thought on his way back to the Great Hall for lunch. He looked up excitedly when the Headmaster rose from his chair.

"I know that I promised to announce the new students for Merlin House at this time," Dumbledore began to speak. "However, there is a problem, which I didn't envision in advance, and I have to confer with the five Heads tonight after dinner, before I'll be able to make my final decision. Please remain patient. I will inform you at breakfast tomorrow morning."

A multiple groan followed the Headmaster's announcement, and the eight first years at the Merlin table engaged themselves in a concerned discussion about what could have happened. Even during their first afternoon class, History of Magic, Gaoithe still pondered the matter. '_Everything is just strange_,' he thought. '_Merlin House is so full of secrets, and I'd feel better if there were older students, whom we could ask for help if something strange happened_.'

However, their last class for the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Gaoithe's thoughts were diverted as soon as the professor entered the room and his head began to hurt. He had to try hard to concentrate on the practice and was glad that the professor paired him with Draco, who merely threw him a concerned look and raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on his relatively bad performance, knowing that Gaoithe had been able to flawlessly cast the same spell when they practised together with Severus during the holidays. During the class, Gaoithe noticed that his headache became worse when the professor was nearby or turned around, so that he faced the man's smelly turban, while it lessened when the teacher walked to the other end of the classroom.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" Hermione asked in concern when they finally left the classroom.

"Yes, of course. I don't know why Quirrell always gives me a headache, but I'm fine now," Gaoithe replied, feeling slightly confused about the matter.

"Well then, shall we go to the library until dinner?" Hermione suggested, and everyone happily agreed, eager to get to know the library, of which they had heard Hermione, Draco and Gaoithe talk.

"I'll go back to the common room. I'll see you at dinner," Gaoithe replied, unaware of the worried looks he provoked. '_This is just the right time to explore the Room of Reversal_,' he thought as he hid in a small alcove, transformed into his phoenix form and flashed into the Merlin common room.

Back in his human form, Gaoithe climbed up the stairs, eyeing the barely visible door with the inscription '_Room of Reversal_' with suspicion. '_Maybe I shouldn't go in there alone_,' a voice at the back of his head spoke up. He lingered in front of the door for a few minutes, before he decided not to involve Hermione or any other student. '_I'm going to ask Dad if he is willing to go in there with me_,' he decided, transformed into his phoenix form and flashed home.

Severus was in his potions lab. '_I'm too stupid. I should have looked at my watch before flashing here_,' Gaoithe thought as he hesitantly entered his father's private lab.

"Hello Gaoithe," Severus said in surprise, looking up from his work for an instant, before he turned back to his cauldron. "Is everything all right? How was your first day of classes?"

"Thank you so much for practising wand magic with me," Gaoithe said gratefully and told his father about his classes. He pondered if he should tell Severus about Quirrell and his headache but dismissed the thought, realising that the Potions Master was obviously busy and not able to put his potion under a stasis spell as he often did when Gaoithe came to speak with him while he was brewing.

"Are you busy, Dad?" Gaoithe asked hesitantly and quickly explained what Marlin had told him about Merlin House and the animals' secrets. "Could you perhaps come with me, Dad?" he asked pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, Gaoithe, but I'm in the middle of the brewing process of the goat's flu potion for Hagrid. He came down with the goat's flu when he went to look after the goat of Professor Dumbledore's brother. And in the evening, we have a staff meeting about the re-sorting," Severus replied thoughtfully. "Maybe you could ask Professor McGonagall to accompany you? Perhaps she has time until dinner. Otherwise, I'm willing to go with you tomorrow."

"All right, I'll ask the cat professor," Gaoithe replied immediately. "Sorry for disturbing you. Um.... Or do you want me to assist? I can still explore the room tomorrow. I just thought it would be a good time to go when no one else is around."

"It is, Gaoithe, and thank you, but I already finished the ingredients and merely have to brew; so there is nothing you could do," Severus replied, smiling proudly at his son. "Come back to talk whenever you have time. I'd love to hear more about your life in Merlin House and about your classes."

Gaoithe agreed and left the lab, flashing into a small alcove near the cat professor's office. Fortunately, McGonagall wasn't busy at the moment and agreed to accompany him.

"Thank you, Professor," Gaoithe said gratefully and flashed them into the Merlin common room. "Here is the door," he said, pointing to the faint line in the wall.

"Ah all right; now I can see it," the professor replied and carefully opened the door, revealing an empty room.

"That's it?" Gaoithe blurted out, feeling half relieved and half disappointed at the sight of the room.

"Gaoithe," McGonagall suddenly said in an uncharacteristically excited voice, making Gaoithe look at her in surprise. "Did you ever hear of the Mirror of Erised?"

"No." Gaoithe shook his head and stepped next to the professor, only now realising that the long side of the room, opposite of the door, seemed to be a huge mirror. '_No, it can't be a mirror_,' he noticed as he looked closely at the mirror-like wall. He saw himself, brewing a potion together with his father. "Professor, this is strange," he spoke up quietly. "I see my father, so it can't be a mirror."

However, McGonagall didn't reply but instead cried out in shock and reached out for Gaoithe's shoulder to steady herself.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Gaoithe asked in concern, forcing his eyes away from the scene, in which his father was just putting the simmering potion under a stasis charm and pulled himself into a hug.

"I don't know," the cat professor replied in a strangely thin, anxious voice, "but I feel very weird."

"Weird?" Gaoithe repeated and gave the professor a sharp look, before he let out a huge gasp.


	14. Chapter 14

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

"I don't understand... What did you see in the mirror, Professor?" Gaoithe stammered in concern.

"I saw... Oh no, I can't tell you that," McGonagall replied, looking at the mirror in shock.

Gaoithe looked at the cat professor in disbelief. She seemed completely unharmed; yet her face looked much younger and was void of any crinkles. "You look so young," Gaoithe breathed with a mixture of confusion and amazement, "much younger."

"Is that true?" McGonagall asked, alarmed, and hesitantly brought her forefingers to her face to feel her skin. "I feel much younger," she said, before she looked down at Gaoithe and added, terrified, "The Room of Reversal. It must have turned me from a 73-year-old witch into a 37-year-old."

"Do you still have all your memories of your older self?" Gaoithe asked, feverishly pondering the matter.

"Yes, at least it allowed me to keep my memories," McGonagall replied, sighing in relief.

"It's strange that nothing seems to have happened to me though. Anyway, Professor, let's get out of here," Gaoithe said firmly. He led the still confused Transfiguration professor out of the room and into the nearby seventh year boys' dormitory, where he motioned her to sit down. "I'm going to call Madam Pomfrey, so she can check on you. Maybe she'll be able to change you back if that's what you want," he said tentatively, slightly surprised when the cat professor didn't protest but merely nodded absentmindedly.

Gaoithe quickly flashed to the hospital wing and informed the Healer, who allowed him to flash her to her colleague.

"Minerva, please tell me exactly what you saw in the mirror," Pomfrey said firmly.

"Shall I leave?" Gaoithe offered, causing the cat professor to shake her head.

"Stay. You were with me, and apparently nothing seems to have happened to you, and we must find out why I was hit by the reversal spell and you weren't. However, promise me not to tell anyone about this."

"I promise," Gaoithe said sincerely.

"I was together with Severus," McGonagall hesitantly began to speak. "We... we were just walking around the lake...Ah, and Gaoithe was sitting on his shoulder," she added hesitantly. "I was young in the mirror. About Severus' age."

"Well, indeed. You're thirty-seven, Minnie. Congratulations," Pomfrey replied, chuckling, as she put her wand away. "You're very handsome and much healthier than before though. I don't think I should age you up back to seventy-three."

"I think so too," Gaoithe said carefully, "but why didn't anything happen to me? I was brewing a potion together with my father."

"We need to speak with Severus and Albus about the matter," Pomfrey said resolutely.

"No!" Gaoithe objected firmly. "I had to promise the phoenix, who told me about the Room of Reversal, not to tell anyone about it, except for my friends, and I don't think the Headmaster is my friend."

"Hmmm... Well, thank you for considering the two of us as friends," Pomfrey replied, chuckling again. "How are we going to explain Professor McGonagall's de-aging though?"

"Can't you just say that someone slipped her a de-aging potion or accidentally cast a de-aging spell?" Gaoithe suggested. "Oh well, let me ask Marlin, the phoenix who told me about the room, if I may tell the Headmaster."

Gaoithe and the two teachers returned to the common room, and Gaoithe sighed in relief when Marlin agreed and suggested the cat professor should use a charm, which would make her gradually look younger to the students, beginning by her former age.

"Gaoithe, would you mind accompanying us to the Headmaster's office?" McGonagall asked, and Gaoithe followed the two witches in surprise.

'_Maybe I can find out more about Merlin House and the problem with the Sorting of older students there_,' he thought as he entered Dumbledore's office, half-heartedly accepting the offered lemon drop.

風の力を持つハリー

The Headmaster listened to his Deputy's explanation, deep in thoughts, while he absentmindedly cradled Baby Fawkes close, apparently to warm the naked phoenix.

"May I hold him for a while?" Gaoithe asked hesitantly and carefully took the nestling from the Headmaster.

#Gee-ha,# Fawkes trilled in a small baby language.#

"Yes, it's me, Gaoithe. You're a beautiful baby, aren't you, Fawkes? And you're already spiking small red and golden feathers," Gaoithe whispered, stroking the tiny feathers in amazement.

#Gwee-ha ta to bawd wawm me?# Fawkes trilled again.

"Fakwes, I need to speak with Gaoithe for a moment," Dumbledore replied, before Gaoithe had even understood what he meant. "After that, he may transform into his phoenix form and take you under his wing, if he doesn't mind."

"Of course not," Gaoithe agreed, smiling.

"Gaoithe, what exactly did you see in the mirror?" the Headmaster queried, a thoughtful expression on his face. After Gaoithe's explanation, he remained pensive for a few minutes, before he slowly said, "I assume that the mirror is a bit similar to the Mirror of Erised, alas slightly different. Like the Mirror of Erised, it shows your greatest desire; however, in contrary to the Mirror of Erised, this mirror does not only show but also reacts to people's wishes. I suspect that the room didn't do anything to Gaoithe, because his greatest desire matched the actual situation of himself being together with his father. In Minerva's case, she wished to be much younger and together with Severus, a desire, which made the room 'reverse' her age from 73 to 37."

Everyone quietly pondered the Headmaster's explanation, before he continued, "Of course I might be terribly mistaken, but this could be what makes Merlin House so dangerous. If students entered the room with evil thoughts and wishes, it could easily kill them."

"I could ask Marlin if that is what happened," Gaoithe offered, looking questioningly at the Headmaster, while he still gently stroked Fawkes' short feathers.

"If you don't mind flashing there," Dumbledore replied, reaching out to take the tiny phoenix back.

Gaoithe flashed into the Merlin common room and spoke with Marlin, who told him that indeed a group of students, who had the desire to kill all the elves living in a nearby elves' village, had entered the room and met a tragic fate. By chance, they were found dead by a friend, who also knew about the Room of Reversal but wasn't evil and got away unharmed.

#That was the main reason why Merlin House was closed several hundreds of years ago,# Marlin finished his explanation.

#But I don't understand,# Gaoithe said in confusion. #I thought only those, who were pure at heart, would be sorted into Merlin House anyway.#

#That's true. However, since people are only eleven years old when they are sorted, they might still turn dark while being at Hogwarts,# Marlin said gravely.

#Oh, I understand.# With that Gaoithe thanked the phoenix profusely and flashed back into the Headmaster's office to inform his teachers.

"Thank you, Gaoithe. Now, since you were the one to discover the House and since you seem to have a special connection to your House, I don't mind you remaining here for my discussion with the professors. Maybe you know one or the other student we're going to talk about. However, I need you to promise that you won't speak to anyone about what has been discussed here."

'_He wants me to stay here when they decide whom to sort into Merlin?_' Gaoithe thought in surprise. "Of course, Professor. May I transform into my phoenix form to cuddle with Fawkes like he asked me to do earlier?"

Dumbledore agreed and placed Baby Fawkes onto his perch, where Gaoithe gently covered the half-naked bird with his green wings. Only when the other three Heads of House arrived and Severus scolded Gaoithe for missing dinner, the Headmaster noticed that they had completely forgotten to eat and ordered sandwiches, before he told everyone what had happened to Minerva and began to explain why he needed his colleagues' help to sort the students.

'_Thank Merlin he didn't mention my father_,' Gaoithe mused. '_The cat professor seemed to be very embarrassed about the scene together with him_.'

"There were one or more students from nearly every year," Dumbledore explained. "However, from some years there were too many, and we have hardly any students from sixth and seventh year. Therefore, I think we should only transfer students from second through fifth year, which would give the NEWT class students the chance to concentrate on their studies instead of having to get used to another House."

Everyone agreed, and the Headmaster continued, "Let's begin with Hufflepuff." He read a long list of names, causing Professor Sprout let out a thoughtful sigh.

"Do you want me to suggest one of them for each year then?" she asked and, seeing Dumbledore nod, continued slowly, "Lars for second year, Cedric for third, Michael for fourth and Ben for fifth year."

'_Lars comes into Merlin House; that's great_,' Gaoithe thought, '_and I like Cedric too. He is good at Quidditch I think_.'

"Ravenclaw next please," Dumbledore said contentedly.

"Eddie Carmichael, Roger Davis, Penelope Clearwater, Adrian Bones," Flitwick decided.

"Slytherin?"

"Pucey, Warrington, Bole and Flint," Severus replied thoughtfully. "Weren't there any other fifth years? I just made Flint Quidditch captain."

'_Marcus Flint? Another brilliant Quidditch player?_' Gaoithe thought in surprise. '_Oh, I see, we're getting out team together_.'

"I'm sorry, Severus, but it seems that the younger students are more ready to change Houses. Very well then, Minerva is next, but please let me interfere in this case," Dumbledore said, smirking, remembering his earlier conversation with the twins and with Baby Fawkes. "I'd like to transfer both Weasley twins together with Katie Bell from second and Oliver Wood from fifth year. We can skip fourth year in favour of two third years."

"Oliver Wood? My Quidditch captain?" Minerva blurted out in shock.

"Thank you, Minnie. That's too generous. We need a good captain for our baby team, don't we Gaoithe?" Pomfrey threw in, glancing at the phoenix.

Gaoithe eagerly nodded his head, and Dumbledore continued, "I'm sorry, Minerva, but since he was the only fifth year student from your House... Poppy, out of the four fifth years, you should decide on one Quidditch captain, and the other three will be the prefects."

"So we have two candidates as Quidditch captain," Pomfrey said, sighing. "Gaoithe, do you know both of them?"

Gaoithe nodded. #Dad, can you translate please? I know both of them, and they're really good, but I think personally Oliver would be the better captain. He is nicer and more patient with the younger students than Marcus, although I get along well with him.#

Severus obediently translated, before he mind thought to Gaoithe, '_Why don't you transform and properly participate in the conversation?_'

Gaoithe chuckled and slightly lifted his left wing, revealing Baby Fawkes. The small phoenix was peacefully asleep with his head turned to his back. '_Who would have thought that Fawkes, who is always so naughty, would make such a sweet baby?_' he grinned to himself, glancing at the Baby Hat on the shelf that was leaning against a book as he slept.

風の力を持つハリー

Before breakfast began, Dumbledore announced the names of the students, who had been transferred to Merlin House. "Please move to the Merlin table now. The house-elves will take your belongings into your new House, and your time tables will adjust automatically."

With that the Merlin table quickly filled under huge applause of the eight first years, while Professor Pomfrey informed them that Oliver would be the Quidditch captain.

"I'm going to speak with Madam Hooch during lunchtime to reserve the Quidditch pitch. I want to hold tryouts as soon as possible," Oliver announced, before he looked around and asked, "Oops, I mean... Do we get a team together at all?"

Everyone laughed, and eight students raised their hands. "Oh cool; with me we're seven players and two reserve players. Provided that you don't fight about the positions we don't even need tryouts. Since I always played Keeper, I'd like to continue doing so, and I want Gaoithe as Seeker," Oliver continued with excitement. "What about the others?"

After a short discussion, they decided on Fred and George as Beaters and Roger, Cedric and Marcus as Chasers. Katie and Draco were made reserve players for the Beater and Chaser positions, while Cedric would play Seeker in case Gaoithe couldn't play for some reason.

'_This is too cool to be true_,' Gaoithe thought happily. '_I'm Seeker on our House team_.' He glanced at the Head table, throwing his father an enthusiastic look.

'I believe I have to try teaching you telepathy,' Severus mind thought back. 'I'm glad to see you so happy though.'

風の力を持つハリー

It was good that they didn't have to rely on Neville playing for Merlin. During their first flying class together with the Slytherins and Gryffindors, Neville nearly crashed onto the ground on his broom, which was only prevented by Gaoithe's quick actions. Seeing that Neville had problems, Gaoithe hurriedly transformed into a griffin and caught his friend, before he could get injured. After that happening, Neville could hardly be convinced to sit on a broom again.

Apart from this incident, the first two weeks of the school year passed uneventfully. Gaoithe enjoyed himself very much and was extremely happy. His new housemates were all very open-minded and friendly, and he got along well with all the other first years of the other Houses, apart from Ronald Weasley, who continued making unnerving comments about him, his father or Merlin House. Gaoithe loved practising with the Quidditch team, and he didn't have any problems in his classes, except for Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Whenever he was near the professor, his head hurt and he could hardly concentrate on the class.

"Gaoithe, I can't understand what your problem is," Hermione said thoughtfully after observing Gaoithe struggle through the class once again. "Is it possible that you're more susceptible to headaches because of being a phoenix Animagus?" Seeing that Gaoithe threw her a questioning look, she explained, "A phoenix is an absolute pure character, although I have to admit that it's difficult to believe, considering how mischievous Fawkes seems to be; in contrary to that, Professor Quirrell somehow has a dark aura I think. He isn't light at all, although I don't have problems with him. You should speak with Professor Pomfrey about your headaches though. If that continues, you won't be able to practise any of the spells we learn."

"I know," Gaoithe said miserably. "Fortunately, Dad already taught Draco and me a few spells, when Draco came to visit me during the summer. Anyway, I'll speak with Dad about Quirrell," he promised, knowing that Hermione otherwise wouldn't cease to bring up the matter.

風の力を持つハリー

One day, Hermione and Draco overheard Ron make a comment about Gaoithe's non-existent Defence abilities.

"Weasley, I challenge you to a wizard's duel. Meet me in the trophy room at midnight," Draco said to the other boy, and Ron agreed, throwing Draco a hateful look.

"A wizard's duel?" Gaoithe asked, terrified, when Draco told him what he was planning to do later on. "Can you imagine what Pomfrey is going to do with us if we get caught? We'll be grounded for ages."

"Oh well, we still have six weeks until our first Quidditch match, so let her ground us. I don't care," Draco replied smirking and turned to the twins. "Would the two of you be willing to supervise our duel?"

"Of course..."

"...It'll be our pleasure," the twins agreed immediately.

"Thank you, Fred and George. Gaoithe, I want you to be my second," Draco said firmly.

"All right," Gaoithe hesitantly agreed, ignoring the small voice at the back of his head that reminded him, '_I promised Dad not to do anything against the rules_.' "In case something happens, grab my tail feathers, and I'll flash us back here," he said, knowing that his friends knew what he meant.

"You should even flash us there, Gaoithe..."

"... So we won't get caught by Filch or his ugly pussy."

"Wait a moment," Hermione threw in, a very upset expression on her face. "You don't think that you're going there on your own? I'm going to come as well."

In the end, all the first years wanted to come, and Yuki offered to flash the rest of the class.

#I need to flash twice in order to take six people, but it's no problem,# she told Gaoithe, who smiled at her, gratefully.

Gaoithe agreed, and five minutes before midnight, he flashed his three friends into a small alcove near the trophy room. '_I should have talked Draco out of this instead of agreeing to help him_,' he thought as the ten Merlin students entered the room that lay completely in the dark.

風の力を持つハリー

A few minutes after the Merlins entered the trophy room, Ron Weasley showed up, accompanied by Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.

"All right, everyone…"

"… except for Ron and one of his friends and Draco and Gaoithe…"

"… out of the ring," the twins instructed them, before they told Draco and Ron to begin with their duel.

Gaoithe watched with a mixture of amazement and fear as his two classmates raised their wands against each other. He hadn't heard any of the spells before, which the two boys began to fire at each other. For ten minutes, Draco and Ron managed to dodge each other's attacks, before Ron was hit by what seemed to have been some kind of cutting spell, since many small cuts appeared on his face.

"Oh wait, you b..." he shouted and, due to the apparent lack of other spells, punched Draco into the face, breaking his nose.

"What does he think he is doing?" Hermione blurted out angrily.

"Please keep the duel fair…"

"… which means no Muggle methods," the twins scolded their brother, who was long enough distracted to give Draco the opportunity to kick him in his wedding tackle.

"Fred, George, don't you think it's time to end that nonsense?" Gaoithe queried, pointing at the two boys, who were busy holding their injured body parts. "Let's take them to the hospital wing."

"Well, let's call it a draw," the twins announced.

Draco held his hand out to Ron, but the Gryffindor merely glared at him as his two housemates steadied him and led him to the hospital wing.

"Dot to the hospital wigg, Gaoithe. Let's flash hobe," Draco said, holding his nose, while Yuki already flashed the spectators back to Merlin House.

"Yuki, can you flash the twins as well please," Gaoithe asked her and instructed the twins to make sure that everyone went to bed immediately. "I'm going to take Draco to my father." With that he glanced at his wrist watch to see where Severus was, before he transformed and flashed Draco right into his father's office.

#Dad, can you mend Draco's nose, please?# Gaoithe trilled to Severus, who looked up from the parchments he was grading in surprise at the sight of his son and godson at that time of the night.

"What happened?" he asked sternly, before he pointed his wand at Draco's nose and uttered an incantation.

Draco hurriedly explained everything, and Severus threw the boy and the phoenix a thoughtful look.

"Well, we're going to speak about the matter tomorrow. For now, return to your House and go to sleep quickly," he said finally. "I'm sure your Head of House will check on you after healing Weasley's injuries."

"That will take a few minutes," Draco chuckled. "I cast a cutting spell on him, which is not easily reversible. The cuts will remain and get infected, before they go away. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't cast dark spells, but Weasley is so mean to Gaoithe that I couldn't resist."

Severus merely raised an eyebrow and unobtrusively spelled a few drops of sleeping potion into the boys' systems, before he once more instructed Gaoithe to flash back quickly.

#Thank you, Dad,# Gaoithe trilled happily and flashed back into his dormitory together with Draco.

By the time Madam Pomfrey entered Merlin House, all of her students were fast asleep. A quick diagnostic spell told her that Draco was completely fine, and she wondered if the three Gryffindors had told her the truth.

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, the Potions Master walked between the Gryffindor table and the Merlin table. "Messrs. Malfoy and Weasley, Ronald Weasley, detention with me tonight at seven o'clock sharp," he said clearly.

"What!" Ron blurted out. "You can't do that. I didn't do anything, and your son was out of bed too. Well, it was clear that he wouldn't be punished."

"I can and I will, Mr. Weasley," Severus returned in a deadly cold voice, "and as far as I know, my son did not break anyone's nose. You better take care of your limbs. They might as well end up in a cauldron. Ten points from Gryffindor for your insolence."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe chuckled when he landed on one of the bookshelves in his father's office and transformed into a mouse. '_I wonder if he's going to make them write lines or scrub cauldrons_,' he mused. '_Well, in the worst case, I just have to unobtrusively flash into the classroom to watch_.'

A few minutes later, Severus entered the room and prepared a few parchments on his desk, before he leaned back in his seat to relax, until Draco arrived a minute later.

"Professor," Draco said politely.

"Draco," Severus acknowledged his godson's presence, pointing at a chair behind his desk. "Sit down and write the sentence on the parchment one hundred times."

"Yes sir," Draco replied and took a seat. To Gaoithe's surprise, he began to laugh as soon as he was seated. "I am a wizard, and I won't let myself be beaten when my opponent resorts to Muggle means," he read aloud. "Uncle Severus, is that a joke?"

Severus looked up from the parchments, which he had just begun to grade, in surprise. "Do I look as if I was joking?"

"Err... no, sir, sorry sir," Draco replied, still chuckling as he began to write, unaware of the smirk that flushed over Severus' face.

Gaoithe however noticed and couldn't help chuckling as well.

"What was that?" Draco queried, glancing at the bookshelf. "Uncle Severus, do you have rats here in the office?"

"No Draco. Get on with it," Severus sighed impatiently, glancing at his wrist watch. "We might have a fly on the wall though," he muttered, more to himself than to Draco, letting his eyes wander over the bookshelf.

'_Oh no; he saw on his watch that I'm here_,' Gaoithe realised, terrified, and tried to hide between two books. '_I hope he won't be too angry, but I just have to watch Ron's detention. He is late though_.'

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Weasley! Ten minutes late! Ten points from Gryffindor," Severus bellowed.

"I'm only late because I had to go to the hospital wing again," Ron replied in a stroppy tone, "due to the nasty spell Malfoy cast at me last night."

"Do you have a pass from Madam Pomfrey?" Severus asked in a bored voice, causing Ron to shake his head.

"No."

"No sir."

"No SIR," Ron repeated, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Pity," Severus sneered.

"Yes," Ron mumbled in exasperation.

"Yes sir. Do you need extra classes in wizarding behaviour, Mr. Weasley?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at the boy. "Otherwise, I suggest that you sit down and begin to write. Five hundred times."

"I am a wizard and I will not forget that?" Ron blurted out, looking at the parchment in disbelief. "And five hundred times?"

"I hope that you are capable of reading and writing, Mr. Weasley, and if you don't want to spend the night here, I suggest that you begin," Severus replied in a strangely calm voice.

"No," Ron replied stubbornly. "I'm not going to write that five hundred times. That'll take all evening, and I still have homework to do."

"If you're fit enough to have a wizard's duel at midnight, you'll well be able to do your homework at midnight," Severus sneered. "And now begin, before I have to take more points off your House."

Gaoithe couldn't help chuckling at Ron's angry expression. However, he quietened down at once when Severus all of a sudden rose from his seat, stepped around his desk and stood in front of the bookshelf. "A mouse," he sneered, "exactly what I needed to test the potion I'm going to brew tonight." With that he took the small animal that was trying in vain to hide behind a book between his thumb and his forefinger and carried it into his private quarters.

"A mouse on my bookshelf," Severus whispered as he reached the living room, "should know that my office as well as the Potions classroom are very dangerous places for mice. They might quickly end up as Potions ingredients or guinea pigs."

Gaoithe threw his father an apologetic look, noticing that his father looked stern as he placed him on the table.

"Gaoithe, I understand that it must be fun to spy on your classmates. However, I hope that you realise that you were very naughty." He let out a thoughtful sigh, before he continued, "If you were not my son, perhaps I'd let you get away with a warning this time. However, since it is my responsibility to teach you proper behaviour, I want you to write a few lines as well." He pulled a small parchment out of his robe pocket and pointed his wand at it, making a sentence appear. "Write this sentence one hundred times, so that you'll remember it in the future. If I catch you again spying on anyone, except for cases in which I might give you my consent in advance for some reason, you won't like the consequences. I want your sentences at dinner tomorrow. Now, considering that you didn't get much sleep last night, I suggest that you return to your dormitory and go to bed early. I need to return to my office, before Draco and Weasley kill each other," Severus said quietly, before he crossed the room towards his office.

#Thank you Dad. Good night,# Gaoithe trilled, before he took the parchment into his beak and obediently flashed back to Merlin.

風の力を持つハリー

However, if he intended to follow his father's advice and get some sleep, he was sadly mistaken. The twins cornered him as soon as he entered the common room and pulled him into their dormitory.

"Gaoithe, by chance we overheard..."

"... that it is Hermione's birthday tomorrow..."

"... and we think..."

"... that we should properly celebrate..."

"... any birthday in this House."

"Oh right... Is that already a year?" Gaoithe blurted out in surprise. "Okay. Do you already have a plan?" he asked suspiciously, seeing the twins grin mischievously.

Fred and George chuckled. "Of course we have an idea. We thought we could prepare the sixth or seventh year dormitory for a party and have a midnight party there tonight."

Gaoithe groaned inwardly. '_So much about getting some sleep_,' he thought tiredly. "Very well then; what do you want me to do?"

"In your phoenix form..."

"...you're bonded to one of the house-elves, aren't you?"

"To Nina," Gaoithe replied. "Even in my human form, she is a good friend, although she doesn't have much time, because she has to undergo the training as a house-elf. Why do you ask?"

"Could you perhaps ask her..."

"... if she can help us out with something to eat and drink for our party?"

"Ah, all right," Gaoithe said and called Nina, who happily agreed to prepare everything for their midnight party.

"I has some friends who wills helps me prepare everything. Don't worries. We won't tells anyone. We cans also prepare the room. I heards something about the dormitories in Merlin House, which can be altered." She slowly trailed of and remained thoughtful for a moment, before she said, "I musts asks the older elves, but we wills do everything. Just comes and have your party at midnight." With that she quickly popped away, leaving three boys, who looked at each other in disbelief.

"What was that...?"

"The dormitories can be changed?"

"The question is if we would be able to change anything," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "Did you already tell everyone by the way?"

"Nope. We need you to lure Hermione away for a moment..."

"... If possible before Pomfrey comes into the common room."

Gaoithe agreed and returned to the common room, where Hermione was doing her homework together with Millicent, Blaise and Neville. "Hermione, do you have a few minutes?" he asked hesitantly. "Could you help me practising the Defence spells in our dormitory?"

"Of course, Gaoithe," Hermione said readily and followed him out of the common room.

As soon as Pomfrey left the common room an hour later, all students of Merlin House went to bed, except for Gaoithe, who remained in front of the fireplace and began to write '_I must not spy on people_' one hundred times, only to fall asleep after the tenth sentence. At midnight, the twins stumbled through the boys' dormitories to wake everyone and Nina kindly woke up the girls.

When everyone was assembled in the common room, Gaoithe introduced Nina to his housemates, and everyone sang the birthday song for Hermione, who stood there stunned with tears leaking from the edges of her eyes. Giggling and chuckling, the students finally followed Nina into the seventh year boys' dormitory, looking around in disbelief and amazement.

Nothing in the room looked like a dormitory anymore. On the window side of the enlarged room, they could see small tables, which were heavily loaded with food and surrounded by many chairs. The centre of the room held comfortable looking sofas, several wizards' chess tables as well as a shelf with games, and the part of the room opposite of the windows had been turned into a swimming pool. Next to the pool was a golden gate, and the students eyed it in confusion.

Nina chuckled, before she explained, "If you walk through the gate, your clothes will be changed into swimming suits."

'_Wow, that's too cool_,' Gaoithe thought happily. '_I love magic, and Merlin House is just brilliant_.'

"I suggest that we go swimming first and have something to eat afterwards," Oliver announced, and the twenty-four students quickly queued in front of the golden gate in order to step through one by one.

Gaoithe chuckled as his dark blue pyjamas were transfigured into green swimming trunks. The Merlins enjoyed themselves greatly in the pool, which was equipped with several whirl pools and slides, and when they finally ended their bath an hour later, they were ravenously hungry.

By the time they left the pool, a silver gate had appeared right in front of the golden gate, and when Gaoithe hesitantly stepped through the gate, he felt a drying charm being cast on his skin, before his swimming trunks were transfigured back into his pyjamas.

"This is my best birthday ever," Hermione sighed happily as they took their seats around the small tables.

On the tables, they found pumpkin juice and butterbeer as well as all kinds of delicacies, which they could imagine. Only when they felt completely full in spite of the still full plates that were self-refilling, they headed to the play corner and played wizards' chess and other games. By the time they finally returned to their beds at half past three in the morning, they felt extremely grateful that Nina had promised to wake them up in time for breakfast.

'_I don't think I'll be able to stomach anything for the next twenty-four hours_,' Gaoithe mused as he drifted off to sleep within seconds after scrambling into bed.

風の力を持つハリー

Seeing that the Merlin table remained completely empty at breakfast, Severus raised an eyebrow at Poppy. "Could it be that the Merlin students have somehow got a wrong impression about when to sleep and when to be up and about?" he queried, smirking.

Poppy returned his look with surprise. "Severus, I have no idea what you're talking about or what's wrong with my students this morning."

"Pity," Severus sneered, before he explained, "The night before yesterday, Messrs. Malfoy and Ronald Weasley saw fit to entertain your first years with a wizard's duel..."

The Healer let out a gasp. "That was true? Mr. Weasley said something like that, but I didn't believe him, because everyone in Merlin House was fast asleep when I checked on them, and Mr. Malfoy was completely unharmed."

"After I fixed his broken nose, yes," Severus smirked. "Both culprits served detention with me last night, so they're already punished for that. I just wonder if they're making it a habit to be up and about during the night."

Madam Pomfrey rose from her seat in determination. "I can imagine what's wrong with them. It's Ms. Granger's birthday today. I will see to that. The next time they will consider well if they're going to hold a party during the night."

Her colleagues grinned as she strode through the Great Hall in a quick pace. "She's making a good Head of House," Minerva chuckled. "I'm looking forward to having the Merlin first years in the first morning class."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe and his friends were still getting dressed, trying to wake up, when their Head of House entered the common room. Poppy instructed the phoenix, who was guarding the entrance, to not let anyone out for the moment, before she shooed all students back to their dormitories.

'_Oh no! I already have to write lines for Dad_,' Gaoithe thought in annoyance. '_I really can't afford to be in even more trouble_.' He let out a deep sigh as he took a parchment and a quill and began to continue with his writing, while he was worriedly waiting for his Head of House to come into the dormitory.

By the time Madam Pomfrey entered the first year boys' dormitory, everyone but Gaoithe was fast asleep again, and Neville was snoring slightly.

"Good morning," Pomfrey said in a strangely friendly voice, making Gaoithe look at her in surprise.

'_I thought she would be upset_,' he mused as he absentmindedly listened when she explained that she wished to give them a potion to prevent them from getting sick to their stomach due to their eating too much during the night. '_Is that all?_' he wondered, while he scribbled his twenty-fourth sentence. However, he soon realised that something was wrong when he heard Draco gasp and splutter.

"Uh. This is disgusting, Professor."

"I am sorry, but this will prevent you from getting sick," Pomfrey replied sternly. "Come on and finish your potion. You're already running late for your fist class."

Gaoithe was the last to receive his phial. If he had wondered why the Healer waited for each student to finish his potion, before she handed out a phial to the next person, he knew the reason as soon as he took the first sip. The liquid did not only have a dark brown colour, but it smelled and tasted worse than everything he had ever experienced before. He gratefully noticed that Neville was kindly waiting for him, before he struggled through the rest of the potion, trying hard to not get sick in front of his Head of House.

Pomfrey smirked as Gaoithe handed her the phial back, shuddering. "You're going to be late for your first morning class. Please give this to Professor McGonagall," she said, handing him a small parchment.

"Thank you, Professor," Gaoithe said politely and hurriedly left the room together with Neville.

During his Transfiguration class, the disgusting taste of the potion didn't leave Gaoithe, although he had to admit that he didn't feel as queasy and tired as before. To his surprise, he was even hungry again at lunchtime. However, knowing that he wouldn't manage to finish his lines between his last afternoon class and dinner, he decided to skip lunch and return to the common room.

"Gaoithe, you'll only get into more trouble if you skip lunch," Hermione admonished him lightly. "Why don't you write your lines at the Merlin table? You can still take a few bites in between then."

Gaoithe grudgingly agreed and managed to finish his sentences right in time to hand them in at dinnertime. '_Thank Merlin it's Friday, so that we don't have to do any urgent homework_,' he thought as he once again inefficiently tried to drown the lingering taste of the morning's potion in pumpkin juice, resolving to retreat to his dormitory right after dinner just like each of his housemates intended to do that day.


	15. Chapter 15

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

The following few weeks passed uneventfully. Gaoithe thoroughly enjoyed himself, loving his House, his classmates, his teachers, Quidditch practice, classes – just everything. His only problem remained his recurring headaches in Professor Quirrell's presence. The teacher seemed oblivious about the discomfort he caused his student though. He seemed to accept that Gaoithe Snape was hardly able to concentrate on the spells he tried to cast without questioning the matter. Every time Gaoithe struggled through his Defence class, he resolved to speak with his father about the matter; however, since his headache always receded as soon as he left the Defence classroom, he always forgot about the matter or postponed talking about it.

One day however, his headache didn't clear up after Defence, which was Gaoithe's last afternoon class. Noticing that he continued rubbing his forehead every now and then, when the first years were gathered in the common room doing their homework, Hermione gave him a sharp look.

"Gaoithe, you still have a headache, although Defence has been over now for four hours, don't you? I'll tell you something. If you don't speak with Pomfrey about the matter when she comes here in a while, then I'm going to inform her."

"You won't," Gaoithe said in shock at the sudden threat and glared at his best friend.

"Try me," Hermione replied firmly, glaring back.

Gaoithe stood up from his chair in a huff, grabbing his parchments. "Very well then; I'm going to speak with my father," he said, glancing at his wrist watch, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed away.

Severus looked up from his work in surprise as he noticed the phoenix. "Gaoithe, is something wrong?" he asked in surprise, knowing that Gaoithe often came to visit him during the weekends, but normally not on school days.

#It's nothing urgent, but there is something I'd like to talk about,# Gaoithe trilled softly, before he hesitantly asked, #Do you have a few minutes?#

"Of course, Gaoithe," Severus replied and stood up immediately. "Let's go into the sitting room and have some tea."

Gaoithe quickly transformed and followed his father, sighing in relief as he made himself comfortable on the sofa and finally told Severus about his problem with the Defence professor.

An expression of utmost concern appeared on Severus' face as he listened to his son's explanation. He remained thoughtful for an instant, before he rose from his seat and stepped over to Gaoithe, carefully prying the boy's fringe from his forehead. "There is nothing to see," he muttered, frowning at the warmth of Gaoithe's skin. "Are you checking your forehead every morning?" he queried as he retreated to his seat.

"Yes, but my scar hasn't reappeared so far," Gaoithe said reassuringly. "Is something wrong with it?"

"No," Severus said pensively, looking sharply at the boy. "You seem a bit warm to me though. Are you feeling completely well apart from your headache?"

If he thought about the matter, Gaoithe felt that his throat was a bit sore, but it didn't bother him as much as the splitting headache that was becoming worse by the hour. "Maybe I've caught a cold or something, but I feel fine. It's just that it's very annoying to get a headache every time I have Defence."

"I understand. We'll have your Head of House check on you later on. The matter with Professor Quirrell, however, seems to be more complicated. There is only one person, who should be able to make your scar hurt, and that is the Dark Lord. But how...?" He remained thoughtful for an instant, before he asked, "Gaoithe, is the professor aware of the fact that he causes you pain?"

"I don't think so," Gaoithe replied, looking at his father questioningly.

"Very well then, I'll speak with Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey, and if they agree, you will be exempt from your Defence classes, and I'm going to teach you in private. Although I don't see an immediate danger for you, even if the Dark Lord has anything to do with it, because they don't know who you are, it doesn't make sense for you to attend the class if you can't properly work anyway."

"All right; thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said, feeling very relieved at his father's reassurance.

"You're welcome, Gaoithe, although you should have come and tell me about your problem much earlier," Severus replied, quirking an eyebrow, before he knelt in front of the fireplace and called Pomfrey. He quickly informed the Healer about Gaoithe's problem, before he told her of his suspicion that Gaoithe might be ill.

"You should have come to your father or me when your problem occurred the first time," Pomfrey said reproachfully, before she pulled her wand and cast a series of diagnostic spells. "I can't find any problem with your scar, at least not now, but you have caught the wizard's flu," she said finally. "I should take you with me," she continued thoughtfully, "however, the hospital wing is full of students, who are sick with the stomach flu, and I wouldn't want you to catch anything in addition. You can either stay here in your own room for a day or in your dormitory."

"My dormitory, but won't the others get sick then too?" Gaoithe asked miserably.

"I'll give them a preventive potion," the Healer replied soothingly as Severus placed two phials in front of Gaoithe, which he had just summoned from his lab.

"Thank you," Gaoithe sighed in relief as he felt the effects of the potions and his headache receded. "I'm fine now."

"No Gaoithe," Severus replied firmly. "I know that your aunt always neglected you when you were sick, but you're not fine yet, and you will do exactly as Professor Pomfrey says. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Dad," Gaoithe promised and obediently followed the Healer back to his dormitory, glad to be allowed to remain with his friends.

'_Thank Merlin she allowed me to stay here and didn't take me with her_,' Gaoithe mused as his Head of House left after checking on him again in the morning and instructing him to remain in bed. '_Everyone has gone to class, so this is the right time to bond with the animals in the painting_,' he thought happily as he dragged himself down to the common room and transformed into a magical tortoise like the one that was guarding the connecting door between the common room and Madam Pomfrey's office.

風の力を持つハリー

=Could you please tell me in case Madam Pomfrey turns to the door to come in here?= he asked the old tortoise that gave him a sharp look.

=You're probably not supposed to be here, but if you behave, I won't tell her, and since it is the first time that you ask this of me, I shall try to inform you as fast as possible.=

=Thank you,= Gaoithe said gratefully. =Um... Excuse me, but do you belong to the painting of the Merlin animals?=

=Oh yes, of course. I only offered to guard this door for your Head of House. As you can see, I am very old, and I always had a special connection to Helga Hufflepuff, your Head's original predecessor as the Healing professor. I knew her well, because she was a tortoise Animagus. She was a very kind woman, just like your Head of House. Sometimes, I still go and visit her.=

=Excuse me, but Helga Hufflepuff is one of the Founders, isn't she?= Gaoithe asked in confusion. =How...?=

=Yes, of course,= the tortoise replied in apparent annoyance. =Maybe at some stage in the future I'll let you in on my secret. However, that depends on your behaviour, and at the moment, you're clearly not behaving as if you were worth of my trust, although I appreciate that you came to talk to me.=

=All right,= Gaoithe said in a small voice. =Thank you for giving me another chance and for helping me.=

=You're welcome, little one,= the old tortoise replied gently, before she ended the conversation by slowly beginning to munch some grass.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe transformed back into his phoenix form and, realising that he didn't feel overly well, pondered if he should go back to bed or speak with another one of the animals. Seeing that the basilisk observed him with clear amusement, he decided to speak with it and changed into a garden snake, instinctively knowing that it would afford less energy than the transformation into a magical animal.

"Hello little sssnake," the basilisk hissed at him. "Can't you transsssform into a proper sssnake? Well, at least you should be able to communicate like thisss."

"I'm sssorry," Gaoithe hissed back. "I'm a bit tired. The nexxxt time I'll try to change into a basilisssk. Could you perhapsss tell me something about thisss House? Have you already been here when it was founded?"

"Yesss, my boy. All of usss have been here from the beginning. Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff founded thisss House for studentsss like you, while Salazzzar Slyzzzerin made his Chamber of Secretsss, where my friend, Amaterasu, livesss. You should go and..."

#Gaoithe, transform back quickly,# the phoenix, who was guarding the common room, suddenly trilled with an urgent touch to his voice.

Gaoithe quickly uttered an apology to the basilisk, before he transformed into his phoenix form, flashed back onto his bed in the dormitory and changed back into his human form, scrambling under his covers in exhaustion. '_I wonder why the phoenix warned me? Pomfrey wouldn't come through the entrance door, and everyone else is supposed to be in class_,' he thought. '_Well, at least I managed to speak with two of the animals. I hope they will open up to me some time. I must ask the basilisk about Slytherin's basilisk. I wonder if it is still alive and where it is._'

Suddenly, the door opened, and his three dorm mates entered the room, quietly as not to disturb him, which changed immediately as they saw that he was awake. "Hi Gaoithe," Draco said aloud. "We thought we'd keep you company and play something."

Gaoithe unconsciously rubbed his forehead. "Don't you have class?"

"Yeah, History of Magic, but the ghost won't miss us," Blaise replied, smiling.

"Or do you want us to leave?" Neville asked shyly.

"Of course not," Gaoithe said, rolling his eyes. "I'm glad to have you here. It's boring. Did you get homework in Transfiguration? We could go to the common room and get a head start on it."

"I have a better idea," Draco spoke up thoughtfully. "Do you remember the wizards' chess set for four people that was in the seventh years' dormitory, when we had Hermione's birthday party? Maybe you could ask Nina, if she can make another one, so that we could play for a while."

"All right, but we should be able to take it here or to the common room," Gaoithe agreed and called Nina, who gave him a thoughtful look.

"I has to tries that," Nina said pensively. "I knows not if I cans takes things out of the dormitory, but perhaps I cans makes the chess set here." She concentrated for an instant, and the wizards' chess set for four players appeared on Gaoithe's bed.

The four boys made themselves comfortable around the chess set, eyeing it in confusion. "Excuse me, Nina," Draco asked curiously, "what are these chess pieces made of? They feel as if they were chocolate."

"Yes, it's a chocolate edition with white, dark, milk and strawberry flavoured chocolate. You cans eats the pieces that you take from the others, and they wills forms again when you begins a new game," Nina explained gently.

"That's cool. I'm starving anyway," Blaise blurted out. "Let's begin to play quickly."

The four boys enjoyed themselves greatly, and to their relief, Pomfrey only came to check on Gaoithe after the last morning class was over. Seeing that the boys were peacefully playing together, she allowed them to have lunch together in the dormitory.

"Thank Merlin that Binns doesn't attend lunch in the Great Hall and can't tell her that you missed History of Magic in favour of playing wizards' chess," Gaoithe chuckled, before he hesitantly took a small bite off Neville's knight.

風の力を持つハリー

'_I should go and speak with the basilisk again_,' Gaoithe thought as he drifted off to a small nap later on. However, when he flashed into the common room later on, knowing that he didn't have much time before his housemates were going to come back from their classes, the basilisk was absent.

#Anguis went to visit a friend,# Marlin informed him. #Why don't you speak with the griffin?#

Gaoithe skimmed the tapestry for the griffin. There were so many animals, and a few of them were trying to catch a Grindylow that was running away quickly, jumping here and there to get away from the others. '_I wonder what creatures they are_,' Gaoithe mused. '_At least they seem to be having a lot of fun. But where is the griffin?_'

#Can't you see her?# Marlin asked, chuckling. #Maybe you can hear her. She is the one snoring.# With that the phoenix took off and landed on something that looked like a brown plush animal and was stretched out on the branch of a nearby tree.

Gaoithe giggled and transformed into a griffin right in time to understand the griffin in the painting swear about stupid birds that always interrupted nice dreams about a whole field with mice in the sunshine.

=You won't find any on the tree,= Gaoithe said in a small voice, causing the griffin to look down in surprise.

=Ah, you decided to pay me a visit. That is indeed honourable. But I tell you now, I'm not going to help you. You must find out everything by yourself.= The griffin chuckled evilly.

=Excuse me, sir...=

=I am not a SIR. I am a LADY,= the griffin interrupted him in a huff, angrily glaring down at him. =My name is Mona, and I was one of Headmaster Godric Gryffindor's familiars.=

=I am sorry, Lady Mona,= Gaoithe replied, letting out a few coughs.

=Are you mocking me?= the griffin asked in a still upset voice.

=No, I'm sorry. That was not my intention,= Gaoithe replied, sighing. '_I wonder if I'll be able to get along with her. She seems a bit difficult, and I really don't feel well today_,' he thought tiredly and decided to try another time. =I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Madame. I'll go back to my dormitory now.=

The griffin threw him a sharp look. =Oh well, I'll let you go for now. You should go back to bed. However, I'll give you something to think about.= Seeing that Gaoithe looked at her expectantly, she continued, =In aliqua parte istius domus exstat gryphus in pariete. That will lead you to my secret.=

=Um... what....?= Gaoithe blurted out in surprise, but the griffin lay down and drifted back to sleep, ignoring the smaller griffin in front of the painting completely. '_Oh cool. I have no idea what that means. I need to write it down before I forget it. Maybe Hermione can help me to find out what it means_.' With that he transformed and flashed back to his dormitory, where he quickly scribbled the words on a parchment as far as he could recall them.

風の力を持つハリー

Hermione looked at the parchment with interest, before she finally admitted, "I have no idea. This looks like a different language. Where did you get that sentence at all?"

"The griffin in the painting gave it to me," Gaoithe confessed. "I talked to her for a bit this afternoon."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're lucky that Pomfrey didn't catch you. You were supposed to stay in bed."

"Yes, I know," Gaoithe replied impatiently. "If this is a different language, we should search the library for a spell to translate. What do you think?"

Hermione sighed and laid her small, cool hand on Gaoithe's forehead. "I think that you have a fever and should rest. I can go to the library and look for a spell if you want."

"All right, then let's go together tomorrow," Gaoithe said, sighing inwardly when his Head of House entered the dormitory and shooed Hermione out.

風の力を持つハリー

Unfortunately, on the next day Gaoithe still wasn't allowed to go anywhere, and, concerned because his recovery took longer than expected, his Head of House kept a close eye on him, so that he could neither research the griffin's secret nor speak with any of the other animals. The following day was Halloween, which turned out so eventful that Gaoithe nearly forgot about the spell in question.

At breakfast, Severus mind thought to Gaoithe. '_I'm glad to hear that you're back to health. By the way, I spoke with my colleagues, and from today onwards, you're exempt from your Defence Against the Dark Arts class. I will teach you in private. Please come to my office after your last afternoon class, so that we can compare our schedules_.'

Gaoithe looked over to the Head table and nodded his agreement, when he suddenly realised that his first morning class was Defence. He quickly informed his classmates, knowing that they were all aware of his problem with Professor Quirrell but had promised to keep the matter to themselves. After breakfast, he returned to the common room to catch up on some homework, which he had missed while he was sick and not allowed to study. Totally engrossed in his Potions homework, he was nearly late for Charms, especially as Pomfrey had forbidden him to transform for a few days, so that he couldn't flash to the small alcove near the Charms classroom and had to walk through the huge castle.

Unfortunately, Ron Weasley took the seat that Hermione had reserved for Gaoithe, and when Hermione saw fit to lecture the Gryffindor how to correctly speak an incantation, the first year Merlins ended up having a huge fight with Ron after the class.

"You think you're better anyway like all the Merlins, you unbearable Know-it-all," he spat. "Like Snape, who can miss classes as he wants, because his Daddy is a teacher here."

"Shut up, weasel," Draco hissed, "and leave Hermione and Gaoithe in peace. You know nothing, you..."

"Draco, stop it. It's all right," Gaoithe interrupted him, seeing that Hermione seemed very hurt.

"I might be a know-it-all," she spoke up in a thin voice; "however, you're a jealous, selfish git, and you should consider your own behaviour before criticising others."

"No wonder that you don't have any friends, not even in your own House," Draco sneered. "Even your brothers will despise you after hearing what you said to Hermione and Gaoithe. The twins are best friends with them."

With that Ron left in a huff and didn't even show up for the rest of their classes. At dinnertime, Neville entered the Great Hall and turned to his friends in concern.

"Ron has been in the boys' washing room on the first floor the whole afternoon. He is trying to cast the spell Draco used on him in their duel as well as a blasting spell at the mirror. At least that's what he told me. I left, before he could hit me. He said he was going to miss dinner."

"Why do we have to care about him? He was the one who attacked Hermione and Gaoithe," Blaise replied, shrugging.

"Exactly. I don't think he knows the spell I cast anyway, only the light version of it, which is completely harmless, because Pomfrey can heal the cuts in a blink," Draco said, glancing at the Gryffindor table.

'_I don't care either. It was him who started the fight and not us_,' Gaoithe mused. '_But he is the twins' brother. I could try to get along with him_,' a voice at the back of his head spoke up. However, he quickly dismissed the thought when all of a sudden Professor Quirrell stormed into the Great Hall, announcing that he had seen a troll in the dungeons, before he collapsed unconscious and the Headmaster sent everyone back to their dormitories.

"Gaoithe, should we do anything about Ron?" Neville suddenly whispered. "Somehow, I feel responsible, because I know where he is."

Gaoithe sighed. "It's all right, Neville. Go back to Merlin with the others. I'll go and flash him back to Gryffindor." He turned around in surprise when a stern voice caught his attention.

"Gaoithe, you're not supposed to transform. Could you perhaps bother to listen to Professor Pomfrey for once?" Hermione asked in apparent annoyance.

"Yes, but this is important," Gaoithe replied. "What if something happened to him?" He quickly transformed into his phoenix form and flashed right in front of the boys' washroom, where he changed back into his human form, before he hesitantly entered the room.

Ron was sitting on the floor, examining the cuts that were spread over all the visible parts of his body.

"Ron," Gaoithe said quietly in order not to surprise the boy. "Are you all right?"

"Why do you care? Go'way," the other boy replied in a huff.

"I do care," Gaoithe replied in a soft voice. "You're the little brother of my best friends."

"Just leave me in peace," Ron growled, pointing his wand at Gaoithe.

"There is a troll in the dungeons, and I came to take you away from here. Everyone is supposed to return to their common rooms," Gaoithe said firmly, not even bothering to pull his wand as well. "I'm going to transform into my phoenix form. Please grab my tail feathers, and I'll take you to Gryffindor."

Ron swore and turned away, only to pale visibly as he looked straight at the troll, who chose that instant to enter the room through the half-open door.

"Quickly! Grab my tail feathers!" Gaoithe shouted and hurriedly transformed. With relief he noticed that Ron accepted his offer. As soon as he felt the boy hold on, he flashed away. However, instead of heading to Gryffindor, he changed his mind and took the boy to his Head of House's office, knowing that his cuts needed to be mended.

Pomfrey looked sharply at the boys, before she turned into Healer's mode and mended Ron's cuts in a blink. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Snape, what happened? Did you have a fight?" she asked as she slid her wand back into her robe pocket.

Gaoithe, who had transformed into his human form upon arriving at the hospital wing, hesitantly averted his eyes to the floor and merely shook his head, waiting for the other boy to speak up.

"I just tried a few spells and apparently didn't succeed," Ron explained shortly. "Snape came and flashed me away because there was a troll."

"A troll?" Pomfrey queried in disbelief, and Gaoithe quickly told her about the matter.

"Shall I flash Ron back to Gryffindor?" he asked, causing the Healer to glare at him and scold him for transforming and flashing at all.

"I'm sorry, but I thought it was important to save Ron from the troll," Gaoithe replied in an upset voice.

Pomfrey sighed. "Five points from Merlin for acting against my orders," she said sternly, before she continued in a softer voice, "and ten points to Merlin for helping a classmate in danger." With that she led Gaoithe through the connecting door to the Merlin common room, before she took Ron through the Floo to Gryffindor.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe had just told his friends the whole story, when his father's voice penetrated his mind. 'Gaoithe, are you busy? If not, could you please flash home for a moment?' Severus mind thought to him.

'_I really should learn to communicate telepathically_,' Gaoithe thought and quickly informed his friends, before he transformed and flashed home.

To his surprise, Severus was sitting in his favourite armchair with one foot placed on the table in front of him. His right leg seemed to be badly injured.

#Dad, what happened?# Gaoithe trilled in shock.

"I'll tell you afterwards. Do you think you could try to heal the injury with your tears?" Severus asked softly, and Gaoithe noticed that his voice was pain-stricken.

#Of course,# he said soothingly and jumped onto the table, from where he leaned over the leg and carefully let a few tears drop into the open wound. '_It's amazing that phoenix tears come so easily. I don't even have to be really sad. My concern upon seeing such a wound and my love towards Dad is enough_,' Gaoithe thought as he observed the wound heal completely.

"Thank you so much for healing me," Severus said in apparent relief, before he explained about a three-headed dog that was residing in the castle to guard something. "I didn't trust Quirrell and thought that he might have let in the troll in to divert everyone's attention and get around the dog. Unfortunately, the beast bit me. Oh well, I should let you go, before you'll be missed. It's already curfew."

#All right Dad; good night,# Gaoithe trilled and flashed straight into his dormitory, where he quickly changed back into his human form, recalling that Pomfrey had already taken points from him for transforming earlier.

Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, his Head of House was angrily awaiting his return in the common room with the intention of teaching him to obey for once.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe slowly descended to the common room, everyone was having tea together, and he realised in annoyance that his Head of House was there as well. '_I just hope she didn't miss me_,' he thought as he tried to unobtrusively sit between Neville and Blaise.

"How nice of you to join us, Mr. Snape," Pomfrey spoke up in a stern voice. "May I ask where you have been?"

Gaoithe quickly considered to lie but dismissed the thought and confessed that he needed to go and help his father with something.

"Do I assume correctly that you flashed once more against my clear orders?" Pomfrey queried, glaring at him.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Professor," Gaoithe admitted in a barely audible voice.

Pomfrey let out a long sigh. "Mr. Snape, it is only an hour ago that I reminded you not to transform let alone flash and that I even took House points," she said in exasperation. "You have a phoenix familiar, who can flash you at any time if you're in a hurry for some reason. If my colleagues or I give you an instruction, it is for a valid reason, and you have to learn to follow instructions. What do you suggest that I do with you, so that you remember to obey to our orders the next time?"

Gaoithe couldn't help blushing deeply. "I'm sorry, Professor," he whispered. "I didn't think of asking Yuki. I'll try to remember to obey. Maybe I could serve detention in the hospital wing for a week?"

"No, I don't want you to do additional work, considering that you're not back to your full strength yet after your illness, which is why it is so important that you do not transform," Pomfrey replied thoughtfully. "Instead, you will be grounded for a week. Apart from classes and meals, I expect you to be either here or in your dormitory."

'_No Quidditch practice for a week_,' Gaoithe thought sadly and turned to Oliver. "Maybe you should let Draco play on the match next Saturday, if I can't practise with you right before the match."

"Nonsense," Oliver replied, dismissing Gaoithe's idea immediately. "Professor, Gaoithe will be allowed to play in the match, won't he?"

"Of course. One week from now ends on Thursday evening; so there is no reason why he couldn't play on Saturday."

'_Thank Merlin_,' Gaoithe sighed in relief. The match Merlin versus Ravenclaw was the first match that was going to take place, and Gaoithe really didn't want to miss it.

"Very well then," Pomfrey spoke up. "I will speak with Professor Snape and with our colleagues about your plan, provided that he agrees. Please inform Mr. Snape about Mr. Longbottom's idea." With that the Healer said good night and left the common room, causing

Gaoithe to look questioningly at Neville.

"Neville thought that if your father doesn't trust Professor Quirrell, it wouldn't be good to single you out and possibly alert him to the fact that he is able to hurt you. Therefore, he suggested that your father should teach the eight of us and not only you," Hermione explained quickly, leaving Gaoithe stunned at his friend's thoughtfulness.

"That would be fantastic. I'd love to have Defence together with the seven of you," he said eagerly. "I hope that my father and the other professors will agree to the plan. Thank you, Neville."

"No problem," Neville replied. "I'd prefer your father over Professor Quirrell, although I think that he hates me, but perhaps it's only because I'm such an idiot when it comes to Potions. I never get anything right."

"Really?" Gaoithe asked in surprise. He had noticed that his father often scolded Neville, but was he really so bad? "Let's sit together in Potions," he suggested kindly. "Maybe I can help you."

"Thank you, Gaoithe," Neville replied gratefully, reaching for his Potions book when Hermione reminded them that they had still homework to do.

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Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, Pomfrey went straight to the Potions Master's office and had a long conversation with Severus about the first years' Defence class and his son's behaviour. Severus agreed immediately to teach the eight first years instead of Gaoithe alone and even awarded Neville ten House points for his thoughtfulness.

"I am sure Mr. Longbottom will be very happy about the praise, especially if it comes from you," Pomfrey said, smiling. "The boy seems to be very afraid of you."

Severus sighed. "He is an absolute dunderhead at Potions. Maybe I should pair him up with Gaoithe. He might be able to help him."

"Speaking of Gaoithe," Pomfrey said thoughtfully, and Severus groaned inwardly upon realising that the Healer's mouth stretched to a thin line.

"What did he do now? I hope he didn't play any more pranks," he asked sternly.

Pomfrey let out a long sigh. "No Severus, he didn't prank anyone. However, he seems to live in his own world. He always tries to help others regardless of any orders that I or any of his other teachers have given him. For example, I forbade him to transform into any animal for at least two more days due to his recent illness. However, this evening he saved Ronald Weasley from the troll and flashed him to the hospital wing, and shortly afterwards he flashed to you and back in spite of the fact that I already took points from him. Severus, I'm at a loss."

"I'm sorry, Poppy. I didn't know that he was not supposed to transform and asked him telepathically if he could flash to me for a moment, because I needed his help," Severus said thoughtfully.

"In that case it's all right that he went to see you, although all students were supposed to remain in their common rooms. However, he should have asked Yuki to flash him instead of transforming again," Pomfrey replied in a still upset voice. "I grounded him for a week, although I somehow doubt that it'll help. I hope that's all right with you."

"Of course, Poppy. You are his Head of House, and I agree completely with your methods of education. You have my full support," Severus said firmly. "In that case I won't invite him to brew together during the weekend."

"Thank you, Severus," Pomfrey said gratefully. "I really like Gaoithe. He is such a sweet child, but he has to learn to obey, especially as he is very reckless towards himself, which is probably still caused by his childhood upbringing."

風の力を持つハリー

'_If I'm grounded, maybe I'll be able to talk with the animals in the painting_,' Gaoithe thought when he returned to Merlin House after his last class on Friday afternoon. However, during the week, he never was alone in the common room. Someone always kept him company, so that he didn't have a chance to secretly speak with any of the animals. Neither could he go to the library to check out the griffin's text, which was very frustrating. On Monday morning, he decided to ask his father if he knew a spell to translate other languages into English.

"I can look it up," Severus offered gently. "In fact, I feel a bit guilty to have lured you into my quarters, which caused you to become grounded. I'll contact you later on."

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said gratefully. "But it's not your fault. I was stupid, because I forgot that I could ask Yuki to flash me. Still I'd be glad if you could help with the text."

When dinner was nearly finished, Severus strode behind the Merlin table and said in his soft, baritone voice, "Mr. Snape, please follow me."

Gaoithe eagerly followed his father out of the Great Hall, giving him an expectant look when he stopped in the entrance hall and turned around. "Gaoithe, the text is Latin, and I'm not sure if my translation is absolutely correct, but it probably means the following. '_Somewhere in this House, there is a griffin at the wall_.' Does that make sense? Was it a griffin that gave you the text?"

"Yes Dad. Thank you so much for finding out the meaning," Gaoithe said gratefully. "I'll probably have to search the whole House. Maybe being grounded is not so bad." He chuckled, causing his father to roll his eyes and smirk in obvious amusement.

"Gaoithe, please behave yourself," Severus slightly admonished his son and gently pulled him into a slight hug.

During the following days, Gaoithe spent every free minute checking the walls in Merlin House. However, he didn't find as much as the trace of a griffin and finally decided to ask his classmates for help, wondering why the other seven first years seemed strangely busy that week.

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If Gaoithe had hoped that his relationship to Ronald Weasley might have improved by the events on Halloween, he was sadly mistaken. Ron ceased to openly attack Gaoithe, but his behaviour towards his Merlin classmates didn't change at all.

'_Thank Merlin that he isn't on the Quidditch team_,' Gaoithe thought as he readied himself for his first real match. Due to being grounded for a week, he was well rested and was looking forward to the match – at least until he sat at the Merlin table for breakfast on Saturday morning.

"Gaoithe, you need to eat," Hermione admonished him for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, right after the match," Gaoithe replied absentmindedly, when his father mind thought to him, 'Gaoithe, are you excited? Be glad that you're only playing against Ravenclaw and not Slytherin.'

Gaoithe threw a menacing glare at the Head table, seeing Severus smirk. 'Don't worry, son; you'll do fine,' the Potions Master added calmingly, causing Gaoithe to relax just a little bit.

As soon as he took into the air together with his teammates, the excitement was completely gone, and Gaoithe concentrated on finding the Snitch, which was efficiently hiding between the low hanging white clouds. '_It looks as if it was going to snow_,' Gaoithe mused, skimming the white sky for small golden wings.

Unfortunately, it began to snow after a few minutes, and it became nearly impossible to spot the Snitch. Gaoithe feverishly searched for his favourite ball, glad to notice that the Ravenclaw Seeker apparently had no clue on the whereabouts of the small, golden ball either.

About two hours into the match, he suddenly felt as if someone was trying to pull his broom backwards. He looked around in shock, only to see the twins right behind him.

"Go on and catch the Snitch…"

"… we're freezing," the twins said, laughing.

"I know. Sorry," he apologized and dashed away upon finally spotting the Snitch a short distance away. Seconds later, he laid his right hand around the struggling ball and made his way down to the ground, escorted by Fred and George.

As soon as he landed on the ground and held the Snitch up for everyone to see, Madam Hooch ended the match and announced, "470 – 180, Merlin wins!"

'_We won_,' Gaoithe mused happily as he hurried inside to take a hot shower. '_I wonder if the twins have planned a party_.'

To Gaoithe's surprise it wasn't the twins but the seventeen Merlin students, who were not on the team, who had arranged for a huge party in the party room turned seventh year boys' dormitory. The room was similar to the last time; however, there was only one huge table, surrounded by twenty-four chairs and loaded with delicacies and drinks, and the swimming pool looked like a Quidditch pitch above the water.

"We did a bit of research," Hermione began to explain upon seeing the team's disbelieving looks, "and we thought that it must be possible to play Quidditch in the water. If you use your magic to jump instead of flying, it should work."

"We even talked about it with Madam Hooch, and she told us that there is indeed a sport called Aquaquid. She said you should try it out," Neville threw in.

'_That's why I was alone in here so often only with the other team members_,' Gaoithe thought in surprise. He had already wondered where the rest of his housemates used to spend their evenings while he was grounded during the week. Only during the team's practice, his friends had always shown up to keep him company.

"The idea is brilliant,…"

"… but we need to eat something first," the twins shouted, and everyone happily stormed the buffet.

Later on, someone shouted, "Now, let's play Aquaquid," and everyone lined up in front of the golden gate. They formed two random Aquaquid teams with Oliver and Marcus as the captains, and Gaoithe sighed in relief, when Marcus immediately chose him as Seeker. '_Thank Merlin I don't have to play any other position_,' he thought. However, he realised soon that it was very difficult to coax his magic into making him jump far enough to be half-way able to catch the Snitch, and an hour later, neither he nor Cedric, who was playing Seeker for the other team, had managed to grab the small ball out of the air, although he had spotted it several times and was sure Cedric had as well.

It was nearly dinnertime, when Gaoithe noticed that he was slowly becoming exhausted from swimming after flying for a few hours, and he decided to take an extraordinary method to finish the match. Hoping that his plan worked and glad that he was allowed to transform again, he waved Cedric over and whispered, "Let's catch the Snitch together." Ignoring the boy's questioning look, he carefully changed into his phoenix form, before he transformed into a dolphin. Lowering his back towards Cedric, he motioned the older boy to sit on his back with a move of his head, before he took a huge jump in the direction of the goal post, where the Snitch had been hovering for a few minutes.

While their housemates hurried to the sides of the pool in surprise, Cedric caught the Snitch from the dolphin's back, and under huge applause the unusual couple returned to the water. Only when Gaoithe had transformed back into his human form, he realised that his surroundings had become very quiet, and he slowly followed his friends' looks to the door. Their Head of House was standing in the doorframe, observing the scene in front of her with surprise. Apparently unaware of her students' anxious looks, she finally spoke up. "My, you're having a wonderful party room. And that was very well done, Mr. Diggory and Mr. Snape. I'm sure you would be able to win Aquaquid over every other possible Hogwarts team."

"Professor," Cedric spoke up thoughtfully, stepping through the golden gate, "Madam Hooch told the others that it should be possible for us to play Aquaquid. But neither Gaoithe nor I were able to jump high enough to catch the Snitch."

"Did she say that?" Pomfrey asked. "Well, then she should teach you Aquaquid. Perhaps it affords too much wandless magic for students of your age. I'll ask her later on. Congratulation to your victory by the way. I'm very proud of you."


	16. Chapter 16

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

On Sunday morning, Gaoithe finally spoke with his classmates about the griffin that was supposed to be on one of the walls, and the first years spent the whole morning inefficiently skimming the walls of Merlin House.

"You better ask the griffin once more," Draco advised Gaoithe when they still hadn't found anything by lunchtime.

"I'll do so, but she really is a snob. It's not easy to talk to her," Gaoithe replied, glad that he had an appointment with his father right after lunch. '_Maybe I'll speak with her during the winter holidays_,' he mused as he slowly walked down to the dungeons, wondering what his father wanted to brew. '_Perhaps we could brew some fruit drops for my friends for Christmas_,' he thought as he entered their quarters. With surprise he realised that his father was just having tea together with the cat professor.

"Hello Gaoithe," the two professors greeted him and motioned him to sit on the sofa and have some tea as well.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to disturb you," he said hesitantly.

"That's all right, Gaoithe," Severus replied, smiling. "We called you here for a reason. In fact, we wanted to discuss something with you." Seeing that Gaoithe threw him a questioning look, he continued, "Professor McGonagall and I would like to get away from our meddling colleagues during the holidays. We were thinking about spending a few days at Prince Manor, my ancestors' home, and we'd like you to join us."

Gaoithe looked at the adults in shock. Since he had come to Hogwarts, Severus had never spent as much as a night anywhere else, except for their ski trip last year. '_And now he wants to go on holidays together with the cat professor?_' he wondered. "I don't have any other plans, but wouldn't it be much nicer for you to go just by yourselves?" he asked hesitantly.

"Gaoithe, you are Severus' son, and of course we want you to accompany us," McGonagall replied in a soft voice. "Otherwise we wouldn't have asked you."

"You don't have to decide now, Gaoithe," Severus said gently. "Just think about it. It's still a few weeks until then. However, we would like you to keep the matter to yourself. We wouldn't want to cause uproar among the students because of knowing that the Gryffindor and Slytherin Heads spend their holidays together."

Gaoithe laughed in understanding. He and the two teachers spent a while drinking tea and talking about this and that, before McGonagall excused herself and Severus asked Gaoithe if he wanted to brew something. For the rest of the afternoon, the two Snapes busied themselves in the Potions lab, brewing several kinds of fruit and chocolate drops as Christmas presents for their friends.

'_Is Dad interested in the cat professor?_' Gaoithe mused, absentmindedly counting to thirty-six as he stirred his potion clockwise. '_I always thought that Professor Sinistra was interested in him, but Dad apparently doesn't overly like her. But the cat professor? Oh well, I'd prefer her over Sinistra. It would be so cool if they got together. I'd love to have a real family with a father and a mother_.'

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Severus gently laid a hand on his shoulder and queried, "Are you feeling all right, Gaoithe? You seem strangely absentminded today."

"Sorry Dad; I'm fine. I was just thinking about something," Gaoithe said quickly and tried to concentrate on properly finishing the potion he was just brewing.

'_I won't go with them_,' he decided on the way back to Merlin later on after having dinner at home together with Severus. '_I'll ask my Head of House if she can help me to feign being ill or something, so that I can't go and they can spend some quality time together_.' Little did he know that the problem was going to resolve itself in a tragic way.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following weeks, Gaoithe was busy with Quidditch training, homework, teaching Neville Potions, assisting his father and closely examining the walls of Merlin House in order to find a griffin somewhere on the wall. One night, he woke up to Fawkes and Yuki having a trilled conversation right next to his ears.

"Whatisit?" he asked sleepily, causing the two birds to chuckle.

#I just thought that you have been such a good boy recently, so studious and boring,# Fawkes trilled. #I believe that it's time for a nice prank.#

"A prank?" Gaoithe sighed, glancing at his alarm clock that showed four o'clock in the morning. He hurriedly transformed into his phoenix form, before he said, #Let's flash into the common room, so that we won't wake up the others.#

Fawkes and Yuki obeyed, and the three phoenixes made themselves comfortable on the back of a sofa in front of the painting with the animals.

#Fawkes, don't you think that I've been in enough trouble recently? Being grounded for a whole week and such?# Gaoithe trilled in exasperation, fluffing his feathers in anticipation of Fawkes' reaction.

#Ah, but that was for a good reason. That was no fun,# Fawkes replied and quickly let out a series of ideas in order to prank the Headmaster, the whole staff or all of the students.

Suddenly, Marlin, who had been following their conversation with interest, threw in, #I like the one with the bathtub. That sounds like much fun for everyone.#

#And how am I supposed to cast such a spell?# Gaoithe asked, annoyed.

#You're capable of wandless magic, aren't you?# Marlin queried and, seeing Gaoithe nod, continued, #Do you know if anyone else can do wandless magic as well?#

#The twins,# Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. #At least they managed to do the juggling charm together with me.#

#The twins of hell?# Marlin chuckled. #I love them.#

Fawkes taught Gaoithe two spells and advised him to cast the first one together with Fred and George. #Please do it at dinner tonight. I'm going to attend, and I'm in dire need of a good laugh.#

At breakfast, Gaoithe quietly informed the twins, who agreed immediately that it was time for a few pranks.

"We should do that one in the Gryffindor common room…"

"… where the two gits of our brothers are doing their homework," they chuckled together.

"But the cat professor would know that it was us, because no one except for me can easily get into Gryffindor," Gaoithe disagreed. "Apart from that, the Gryffindors are in a bad mood anyway after losing the Quidditch match against Slytherin, and they think that it's our fault, because so many members of the former Gryffindor team transferred to Merlin. No, let's do it at dinner tonight."

After their last afternoon class, the three boys retreated to the unused sixth year boys' dormitory in Merlin House and practised the spell Fawkes had told Gaoithe. Deciding that they didn't even have to cast the spell wandlessly, they finally headed to the Great Hall for dinner and sat on the opposite side of their normal seats in order to have a good look at the Head table.

As soon as the teachers had begun to eat, apparently deeply engrossed in a conversation, Gaoithe unobtrusively nodded at the twins and waved his hand at the Head table, while the twins waved their wands under the table. The whole school watched with excitement as the Head table was transfigured into a huge bath tub. Plates, glasses and everything that had been on the table were now floating on the water. When the teachers bravely continued their meal, Gaoithe once again unobtrusively waved his hand, quietly uttering an incantation. '_Thank Merlin Pomfrey is not here tonight. She'd probably know that it was me, because she somehow seems to be able to look through me_,' he mused, observing the mess at the Head table that he had just caused by the waves he added to the bath tub. Tea and pumpkin juice was spilled, and the water in the bathtub was soon decorated by tomatoes, broccoli and other vegetables.

Everyone looked at the Head table in amusement that quickly turned into anticipation as the Headmaster slowly rose from his chair and waved his hand over the Great Hall, quietly uttering a long incantation.

風の力を持つハリー

Suddenly, from above all five House tables it began to rain butterbeer that poured down on the tables and their occupants, turning everyone and everything brown and sticky.

"I'm sure that was the twins. It's their fault that we can't properly eat our dinner," Gaoithe heard Ron complain from the nearby Gryffindor table, when everyone quickly left the Great Hall in order to possibly be the first to be able to take a shower.

'_Thank Merlin we're so few people in our House that we can shower all at the same time. Otherwise, we'd have to ask the house-elves to change our party room to a huge bathroom_,' Gaoithe thought, chuckling, as he cleaned himself from the stinky brown liquid.

Suddenly, Severus' voice penetrated his mind. 'That was a good prank, Gaoithe. Well done.'

"My father knows that it was me," he told the twins later on. "He didn't seem angry though."

"That's good…"

"… because we want you to ask him…"

"… if we can brew a prank potion to give to everyone at the Leaving Feast."

Gaoithe groaned. "And what might that be?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the twins in a very Snape-ish manner.

"Oh, wait and see…"

"… You don't have to help…"

"… although we'd appreciate your brewing proficiency," the twins laughed.

'_I really need Dad to teach me how to contact him telepathically_,' Gaoithe thought and resolved to flash home for a few minutes.

風の力を持つハリー

Severus agreed to teach Gaoithe telepathy during the winter holidays, and he also allowed the three boys to brew their prank potion in the Potions classroom on Sunday morning, knowing that all three of them were very responsible when it came to potions.

During the Leaving Feast that took place on Friday evening, all the students' heads transformed into that of Santa Clause with red hats and long white beards that could rival that of Albus Dumbledore. Everyone except for Ron Weasley laughed about the matter.

"He is a stupid git," Fred said to Gaoithe. "He complained so much about Hogwarts and us and whatever and insisted on going home tomorrow. Originally, he was supposed to remain at Hogwarts over the holidays just like us."

"I'm glad that you're going to stay, and that all of our housemates agreed to remain here until Christmas morning," Gaoithe replied, smiling.

"Well, it was nice of your father to make Portkeys for all of them. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to return home on Christmas day," George said thoughtfully. "By the way, don't you think…"

"… that it's time to plan our Christmas party?" Fred continued. "Of course it is. "Let's talk with Nina tomorrow morning, when everyone else accompanies the others to the station."

'Gaoithe,' Severus' voice suddenly penetrated Gaoithe's mind. 'Considering that it's difficult to learn how to use telepathy, I suggest that we have lessons every morning, beginning tomorrow right after breakfast. Is that all right with you?'

Gaoithe slowly turned around to face his father and unobtrusively nodded, before he grabbed his forehead as a sharp pain shot through his scar when he looked at Professor Quirrell, who was sitting next to Severus. '_I must ask Dad, if he could find out anything_,' he resolved as he quickly finished his meal, glad to be able to leave the Great Hall.

風の力を持つハリー

The telepathy lessons turned out to be much more difficult than Gaoithe had anticipated.

"You must try to clear your own mind from all thoughts and concentrate on my mind in order to be able to communicate through telepathy," Severus explained patiently.

"But how do I clear my mind?" Gaoithe asked helplessly as he feverishly tried to push the thoughts of the twins away, who were just meeting with Nina to plan their Christmas party.

Severus smirked. "It works a bit similar to Occlumency, which I would recommend for you to learn as well. You must try to bundle your thoughts on an image. Try to get a picture in front of your mind. For example, I use a picture of a silver cauldron, in which a calming draught is simmering. You can as well use a picture of a Snitch or whatever. Try to fully concentrate on the image that you want to use. You don't have to tell me what it is if you don't want to."

Gaoithe remained thoughtful for a short while, before he said slowly, "There are white clouds in the sky, and a wind phoenix is flashing here and there, causing the clouds to whirl around in the whirl wind it causes."

"That's a very good and fitting image, Gaoithe," Severus said warmly. "Now try to concentrate on it. Don't think about anything else."

'_If that was so easy_,' Gaoithe thought in exasperation as he tiredly walked home after his third lesson with his father, when he suddenly saw Professor Quirrell walk straight into the Forbidden Forest. '_I wonder what he is up to_,' he mused. '_I really don't trust him_.'

風の力を持つハリー

Unfortunately, neither Gaoithe nor his housemates, with whom he spoke about Professor Quirrell, were able to find out anything about the strange teacher. When Gaoithe asked Severus, his father merely instructed him to be extremely careful around the man and promised to inform Gaoithe right away as soon as he knew anything that was based on facts and not on mere assumptions.

風の力を持つハリー

One night, Gaoithe was exhausted but wide awake after practising to clear his mind for a while. Noticing that his roommates were already fast asleep, he decided to return to the common room and try to speak with the griffin. A few minutes later, he was standing in front of the painting of the animals in his griffin form.

=Lady Mona, may I disturb you for a moment?= he hesitantly asked the griffin that was playing soccer with a unicorn.

The griffin looked down at him and chuckled. =I watched your efforts, little one. Everyone here is having much fun observing you and your housemates search for the griffin on the wall. Unfortunately, you forgot something essential in order to be able to see the griffin.=

=Excuse me, Lady Mona, but what…?= Gaoithe slowly trailed off, eyeing the older griffin in confusion.

=Well, it's the griffin secret,= Mona replied, smirking. =I'm glad to be able to give you something to think about, little one. And now off to bed with you, before I have to instruct the tortoise to fetch your Head of House. It's nearly midnight.=

Gaoithe let out a disappointed sigh. =All right. Good night, Lady Mona,= he said and transformed back into his phoenix form to flash back to bed. '_She really is a bitch_,' he thought in annoyance as he lay down and pondered the matter until sleep claimed him.

"Perhaps you have to be in your griffin form in order to be able to see the griffin," Hermione said thoughtfully, when Gaoithe told his classmates about his conversation with Mona.

"Leave it to our Hermione to get the clue," Millicent spoke up excitedly. "I think that's it, Gaoithe. Can you search again in your griffin form?"

"I'll try in the afternoon," Gaoithe promised and flashed home for his telepathy and Occlumency lesson.

In the afternoon, Gaoithe searched the whole House in his griffin form without any success. Very frustrated he returned to the common room, where his housemates were trying to cast wrapping spells at the Christmas presents for their families.

"Did you search the girls' dormitories as well?" Mandy queried.

"Right," Hermione agreed. "After what you told us about how the griffin loves to emphasize that she is a lady, it is well possible that her secret is placed within or between the girls' dormitories."

"That sounds logical," Gaoithe agreed thoughtfully. "However, how am I supposed to get there? The stairs are charmed so that boys can't get upstairs."

"Yeah, but you won't go as a boy but as a griffin," Neville threw in. "Maybe that's different."

Gaoithe sighed and already transformed back into his phoenix form in order to change into a griffin, when Hermione held him back. "It's nearly dinnertime, Gaoithe. Why don't you leave that for tomorrow?"

"That's true," Gaoithe agreed, feeling tired of searching the House anyway.

At breakfast, the Headmaster announced that everyone was allowed to go to Hogsmeade for the day in case they wanted to do last minute Christmas shopping, provided that they remained in groups of at least three students.

'_Oh no_,' Gaoithe groaned inwardly. '_By the time my morning class with Dad is finished, they'll all have already left_.'

However, suddenly Severus' voice penetrated his mind. 'Gaoithe, arrange something to meet with your friends at lunchtime. I'll take you to Hogsmeade after our lesson if you want.'

Gaoithe turned around to face the Head table and threw his father a grateful look, only to turn back quickly when he met the Defence teacher's gaze. Seeing that his hand automatically moved to rub his forehead, Hermione asked in concern, "Are you all right, Gaoithe?"

"Of course; I just have to remember to evade Quirrell's look," Gaoithe replied in annoyance, before he changed the topic. "My father told me to meet you at Hogsmeade for lunch."

"We'll wait at the Three Broomsticks then," Draco reassured him, and the other six first years nodded their consent.

"Gaoithe, last night I went to see a Gryffindor friend after curfew," Oliver said in a small voice, "and I overheard your father speak with Professor Quirrell." Seeing that everyone looked at him expectantly, he continued, "Quirrell seemed to be angry about the fact that he is teaching the first year Merlins Defence Against the Dark Arts in spite of him being the Defence teacher."

"Oops, and what did my father say?" Gaoithe asked in concern.

"He said something like 'You should know best why I can't entrust my son and his friends to your guidance.' I don't remember the exact words; I'm not really sure what he meant anyway. Just Professor Quirrell didn't seem very pleased, and well, I was glad that I wasn't the one your father was talking to in the tone he used."

"Gaoithe, do you have an idea why your head always hurts in Professor Quirrell's presence? I mean that's absolutely not normal," Hermione asked thoughtfully, giving Gaoithe a sharp look.

'_I really need to tell my housemates or at least the seven first years the truth about my real identity_,' Gaoithe mused, before he replied, "I'm not exactly sure. I must ask my father. Maybe he can explain it to me. I'll ask him later on. It's time for me to head to the dungeons anyway."

However, before Gaoithe could move from his chair, a sharp pain struck his forehead, and a small moan escaped his lips.

"Gaoithe, don't rub your forehead. Leave your hands on the table," Blaise, who was sitting opposite of Gaoithe, suddenly hissed. "Quirrell is looking here, and we don't want him to know that he causes you pain."

"That's right," Gaoithe replied miserably. "I didn't know that he could do that if I'm not even looking at him. Um… Blaise, is my father still there?"

"No, he left a few minutes ago," the other boy replied.

"Take care, Gaoithe. We'll meet you at lunchtime," Hermione said softly.

Gaoithe agreed and hurriedly left the Great Hall after confirming with a glance at his wrist watch that Severus was already at home. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he transformed and flashed home, heading straight for his perch.

"Gaoithe, what's wrong?" Severus queried in surprise, seeing that Gaoithe did not immediately transform as usual but remained on his perch and fluffed his feathers.

#Dad, can we talk for a few minutes, before we begin practising?# Gaoithe asked pleadingly and hopped onto the table.

"Of course," Severus replied softly. "Did something happen?"

Gaoithe carefully stepped onto Severus' knee and told his father about his worries about Professor Quirrell. #He attacked me, no… he didn't attack me, but he looked at me from behind, and it hurt terribly. Do you think he can find out who I am and willingly try to hurt me?# Somehow, he had the impression as if there was a scene, which he remembered, but it was very faint and he couldn't place it. '_Maybe it was only a dream_,' he mused, '_but I'm afraid_.'

"Gaoithe, that might be possible," Severus said softly. "Therefore, it is very important that you are careful, and I also want you to never be alone with Professor Quirrell. If you see him when you're alone, try to unobtrusively transform and flash away."

#I'll do that,# Gaoithe promised.

Severus cast him a concerned look as he thoughtfully changed the topic. "There is something else that we need to discuss," Severus said hesitantly. "Normally, the students receive pocket money from their parents, before they come to Hogwarts, especially those above third year, who are allowed to regularly visit Hogsmeade. However, since you're living here and can come home at anytime, there was no need for us to think about it before. For today, I will give you a small bag with three Galleons. I don't think that you'll need that much money, but take it with you just in case. Anyway, I suggest that we discuss the matter about pocket money during the holidays, and I should also take you to Gringotts some time, so that you can activate your vaults."

#My vaults?# Gaoithe queried in surprise.

"Yes Gaoithe, your parents were not poor, and they left you a lot of money. Frankly speaking, I don't want you to use any of that money at least before you finish Hogwarts, and there might even be vaults, which you will only be able to access when you turn seventeen anyway; however, I believe that you should be informed about your possessions."

#All right, Dad; thank you,# Gaoithe trilled, not really sure what to think of the matter.

"Now are you feeling well enough and up to practising telepathy, or would you prefer brewing something together first?" Severus asked gently, looking at the phoenix on his knee in concern.

#My head doesn't hurt anymore, at least not in my phoenix form, but I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate enough,# Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. #Maybe it would be good to brew something first. Oh, by the way, Dad, do you have an idea what I could give your colleagues for Christmas? I'll give the fruit drops, which we brewed last weekend, to my friends, but considering that I already gave the teachers fruit drops last year…# Gaoithe let out a long sigh.

"You could brew a similar potion, but instead of making fruit drops from it, you can give it to them as a flavoured liquid to put into their tea," Severus suggested. "We can do that right away. I'll assist."

#Thank you so much,# Gaoithe said in relief and hopped down to the floor, where he transformed into his human form.

The two Snapes headed into Severus' private lab, where the Potions Master laid out a recipe in front of his son. "Feel free to add whatever flavour you think they'll like," he said, smirking as he swiftly began to prepare the ingredients.

An hour later, Gaoithe had brewed five different kind of flavoured liquids, which he filled into very tiny phials. "Dad, can you please show me how to magically label the phials?" he asked pleadingly. So far, Severus had always refused to that certain request, insisting that he only taught students how to magically label a phial after they had taken their Potions OWL with an excellent grade.

"Well, your brewing is already at OWL level, and considering that it is for a present for my colleagues and that your hand writing is atrocious…" Severus said, smirking, and finally taught Gaoithe the spell.

The boy sighed in relief. "Thank you, Dad. Um… May I ask Cicero to give it to everyone on Christmas day?"

"Of course, Gaoithe. You know how to call Cicero, don't you?" Severus replied, surprised, and waved his wand around the room to clean up. "Now then let's get to our lesson. Do you want to practise here or in the office?"

"Here," Gaoithe replied and tried to concentrate on the task ahead.

風の力を持つハリー

Two hours and several inefficient efforts to mind think to his father later, Gaoithe happily followed Severus to the entrance hall in order to spend the afternoon with his friends in Hogsmeade.

"Gaoithe, Minerva and I will chaperone your visit. We have to take turns with Professors Sprout and Flitwick," Severus informed Gaoithe on their way out of the dungeons. "Therefore, we're going to meet Minerva in the entrance hall."

"Dad?" Gaoithe whispered, before he could stop himself, "Is the cat professor your girlfriend?"

Severus nearly chocked as understanding set in of what his son was implying. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he replied, "She is a colleague of mine, nothing else. She even was my teacher when I was a student here, and she is the Gryffindor Head of House if I might remind you. Do you think it's surprising that we get along well, considering that we have people like Professor Quirrell among our colleagues and everyone else is much older than us?"

"No, of course not. I'm sorry, sir," Gaoithe replied, suddenly feeling very stupid. When they met with Minerva in the entrance hall, he couldn't help blushing deeply.

風の力を持つハリー

The eight Merlin first years spent a happy afternoon at Hogsmeade, buying last minute Christmas presents as well as a few sweets for themselves.

"Do we need to buy anything for our Christmas party?" Gaoithe asked the others, knowing that everyone else had made plans for their party, while he was having his lesson with his father.

"No, Oliver and the twins said they were going to buy a few things, but we don't need much, considering that we can ask the house-elves for nearly everything," Draco informed him. "Now, can we go back to Hogwarts? It's freezing out here."

Everyone agreed, and the group of first years swiftly returned to the castle.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe tiredly stepped down to the common room in the morning, the twins cornered him. "Gaoithe, what do you think of a snowman building contest?" Fred asked eagerly.

"I think that's a brilliant idea, provided that you don't pull through with it before lunch. I have to go home for my lesson with my father," Gaoithe replied slowly, throwing the twins a questioning look.

"No problem…"

"…We can wait and do the contest after lunch," the twins agreed immediately.

"Are you going to involve the teachers as well?" Hermione, who had just witnessed their conversation, threw in.

"Why not?" Gaoithe replied. "Shall I flash to the Headmaster's office and ask Fawkes to suggest the contest to Professor Dumbledore?"

"That's a good idea," the twins agreed.

Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form. _'It's time to play Fawkes a visit anyway_,' he thought as he flashed straight to his friend's perch.

Gaoithe nearly fell from the perch upon realising that he had arrived right in the middle of one of the fights between Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, who had already grown back to his usual self.

"You stupid, reckless murderer," the Hat hissed, apparently in reply to something Fawkes had said.

#I just meant well when I tried removing some dust off you, you dirty rag, but unfortunately, you're as rotten and dusty as before, you filthy know-it-all,# Fawkes replied angrily, fluffing his feathers in a huff.

"Fawkes, please behave yourself," the Headmaster gently admonished his familiar, before he turned to Gaoithe, who was quietly sitting next to the phoenix.

"Hello Gaoithe," Dumbledore said gently. "Why don't you transform back and sit here with me for a while, seeing that Fawkes seems to be too preoccupied at the moment?"

Gaoithe jumped down to the floor and changed back into his human form. "Good morning, Professor. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to intrude…"

"No problem, my boy. I always like having quiet people around, who don't shout at each other," Dumbledore replied, glaring at Fawkes and the Hat, before he offered Gaoithe a lemon drop.

"Thank you sir," Gaoithe said and quickly filled the Headmaster in about the twins' newest plan.

"A snowman building contest sounds like a lot of fun," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully, "and after lunch is not bad either, because it gives me some time to arrange for the prizes. Very well, my boy. However, we will only announce the matter at lunchtime."

"Thank you, sir," Gaoithe replied happily, when all of a sudden an idea crossed his mind. "Professor, would it perhaps be possible to have a contest of Merlin House against the teachers and the few remaining students of the other Houses?" he asked hesitantly.

Dumbledore remained thoughtful for an instant, before he smiled and said, "All right, my boy. In that case, I will look for an impartial jury."

Gaoithe thanked the Headmaster profusely, and after a short conversation with the old wizard about his studies he transformed and flashed back to Merlin House to inform the twins and Hermione, before it was time for him to flash home for his morning class. By the time he returned to the common room, his House mates greeted him with excitement.

"Gaoithe, Lars had a brilliant idea," Hermione blurted out, before Gaoithe had even transformed back.

"For the snowman contest…"

"… we're going to build the animals from the painting," the twins explained quickly.

"However, you'll have to transform into the respective animals, so that we know what they look like and can build them," Lars added hesitantly.

"That's all right, Lars," Gaoithe replied eagerly. "I think it's a brilliant idea."

風の力を持つハリー

Right after lunch, the snowman building contest took place. The Headmaster had invited his brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, to make the jury and decide which of the two teams won the contest. While the teachers and the few remaining students from other Houses constructed a miniature version of Hogwarts, the Merlins built a herd of magical animals that were grouped around a phoenix, the symbol of their House.

Aberforth Dumbledore finally decided that both parties had worked extremely well and called it a tie. "I suggest that you eat the first prize, a huge package with chocolate frogs, all together," the old wizard laughed, before he called his goat that was playing at the edge of the forest and took his leave just when Fawkes arrived with the Sorting Hat in his beak and placed the angrily whinging Hat on the snow basilisk's head.

"Fawkes, behave yourself," Dumbledore said in exasperation and released the Sorting Hat from his predicament.

風の力を持つハリー

The next day was finally Christmas Eve. If Gaoithe had hoped that Severus wouldn't insist on having their telepathy and Occlumency class, he was disappointed.

"What is so urgent that you have to do it in the morning of Christmas Eve?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at Gaoithe.

"Um… nothing, but…"

"Your friends are all going to wait for the evening, unable to think of any other action, especially considering the snow storm we're having today that prohibits it to go flying. Therefore, you won't miss anything," Severus predicted, causing Gaoithe to smile.

'_Oh, I could think of many things to do like trying to play Aquaquid or searching for the griffin_,' Gaoithe thought to himself but didn't talk back to his father.

When he returned to Merlin House after having lunch at home with his father, he realised immediately that Severus had been right. Everyone was reading, talking or observing the animals in the painting and seemed very bored. '_Why is Dad always right?_' he mused in half-hearted annoyance, noticing that he somehow felt proud of his father. '_It's already two years since I came to live with him. Thank Merlin I chose him at that time. I'm at least as happy now as I was unhappy at the Dursleys_.'

"Gaoithe, we talked Pomfrey into allowing us to have dinner in our party room tonight, so that we can begin our party earlier," Blaise informed him, smirking.

Gaoithe glanced at his wrist watch, seeing that his father was in his lab. '_We still have three hours left. I'll go and search for the griffin_,' he decided and transformed into his griffin form, rolling his eyes at Mona in the painting as he saw her throwing him an amused look.

"Gaoithe, I'll accompany you," Susan offered kindly and walked next to him to the stairs that led up to the girls' dormitories.

Together with his classmate Gaoithe climbed upstairs, realising in surprise that he was even able to enter the girls' dormitories in his griffin form. However, he couldn't find a griffin on the walls. Only on their way back, when they had nearly reached the common room, he saw faint lines on the wall just between the common room and the first steps. It was the outline of a life-size griffin. '_It's larger than my form in any case. But what am I going to do with this griffin? It's not even a picture I could talk with_,' he wondered as he carefully touched the wall with his right front paw.

"Did you find something?" Susan asked with interest.

Gaoithe transformed back into his human form, anxious if he would still be able to see the griffin. "Here," he ran his finger along the outline of the animal. "Can you see it?"

"Yes, but only now that you showed it to me," Susan replied in awe. "What does it do though?"

'_That's a good question_,' Gaoithe thought. He and his classmates spent the rest of the afternoon, trying to find out the griffin's possible secret; however, by the time the twins shouted that the party was going to begin, they still hadn't made any progress. Gaoithe motioned for his classmates to go ahead, before he transformed into his griffin form and stepped in front of the painting, seeing that Mona had been observing them, chuckling, the whole afternoon.

=Happy Christmas to you too, Lady Mona,= he said in a polite voice but with clear displeasure showing on his face.

=Ah, you must be patient, little one,= Mona replied, giggling. =Merry Christmas. Don't drink too much butterbeer.=

'_I won't drink any at all_,' Gaoithe thought, shuddering at the taste, and changed into his phoenix form to flash right into the seventh years' dormitory.

"Gaoithe!" a multiple groan greeted him, causing him to look around in surprise. '_What did I do?_' he wondered.

"Gaoithe, you managed to extinguish all the candles on the tree by the whirl of wind that accompanied your landing," Hermione informed him, chuckling.

Only now Gaoithe realised that he was sitting right next to a huge Christmas tree. #I'm sorry,# he trilled and uncertainly fluffed his feathers, completely forgetting that no one except for Severus could understand his phoenix's language.

#You must be more careful,# Yuki slightly admonished him, suddenly showing up from nowhere. #You could have burned yourself badly.#

Gaoithe took a few steps away from the tree and transformed back into his human form, taking in his surroundings with amazement.

The room looked beautiful with Christmas decorations everywhere. It was similar to the last times; however, the huge tree, under which lots of presents were scattered, replaced the playing area, and the swimming pool was completely covered with ice.

"Let's go ice skating before dinner," the twins shouted, and everyone except for Hermione and Neville eagerly stepped through the golden gate, emerging on the other side in winter attire.

The group had much fun ice skating, although Gaoithe noticed quickly that it looked easier than it was, and he and the twins decided to come back and practise during the holidays. Afterwards, they had dinner, which took what seemed to be ages, because the house-elves served the same menu as in the Great Hall, and it was already late in the evening, when the group gathered around the Christmas tree, ready to open their presents.

"Did by chance anyone invite Professor Pomfrey?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Ooops, no, I think we forgot that," the twins replied, slapping their foreheads. "Gaoithe, can you fetch her? We just need to see her face when she opens our present."

Gaoithe chuckled. "Well, she won't know that it's a prank until our first Healing class anyway," he replied but obediently transformed and flashed away to fetch his Head of House, so that they could all open their presents.

It was shortly after midnight, when the Merlins ended their party and returned to their dormitories. '_That was great fun_,' Gaoithe mused as he readied himself for bed. '_But somehow, I'd like to spend Christmas night at home_.' He quickly informed his roommates and Yuki, who offered to flash him.

"Thanks Yuki, but it's all right. I can flash myself. I'll be back before breakfast." With that, Gaoithe transformed and flashed home, knowing from a glance at his wrist watch that his father was still in the living room.


	17. Chapter 17

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

#Hello Dad. Merry Christmas,# he trilled, hopping onto the ground to transform back. "Are you all alone here?" he asked in concern, wondering if he should have come home earlier.

"Gaoithe," Severus said in surprise. "No, the other four Heads of House have been here for tea until a few minutes ago. I heard that you had a wonderful Christmas party."

Gaoithe chuckled. "Yes, it was great. Although ice skating is a bit difficult. And I ate too much, but the food was so good. And I received so many sweets from my friends for Christmas." A huge yawn escaped from his lips.

"Well, you should go to bed anyway. It's late enough. Just tell me one thing. Poppy told us that you gave her a large photo for her office and a magical thermometer. What exactly…?"

Seeing that his father raised an eyebrow at him, Gaoithe quickly interrupted him, chuckling. "The photo is just, well it has a small photo of all of us, and everyone is whispering or singing or doing something, not at the same time of course, but one after the other. I just transform into a few animals and back, before Hermione complains that Pomfrey forgot to give us homework and Fred asks her if she can get Binns to stay in the hospital wing, so that History of Magic will be cancelled. The thermometer is similar to the one we always have to use on the dummy in class to check if our partner cast the spell correctly. This one however flares blue and says, 'Wrong again. Who the heck taught you, you dunderhead?' The twins and I went to ask Professor Flitwick for help with both presents," he admitted, still chuckling.

Severus shook his head in amusement. "Clearly the students are having too much fun," he muttered to himself, before he asked Gaoithe, "Are you going to stay here tonight?"

"If you don't mind," Gaoithe said reluctantly, sighing in relief when his father reassured him that he would love to have him at home. "Good night, Dad," he said softly when Severus followed him into his room and gently tucked him in.

"Good night, Gaoithe," Severus replied, smiling. "Sleep well," he added, hearing his son's breathing become regular, before he had even left the room.

風の力を持つハリー

On Christmas morning, Gaoithe flashed into the common room to say good-bye to his House mates, who returned home with their Portkeys before breakfast, leaving only the twins and him in Merlin House over the rest of the holidays.

"It's very quiet here, isn't it?" he asked the twins. "Oh well, I suppose it's time for breakfast in the Great Hall anyway."

"Wait Gaoithe," George said, chuckling.

"Let's give you your present here," Fred added with an equally mischievous expression on his face as he handed Gaoithe a present.

Gaoithe quickly removed the wrapping, glancing at the book that was entitled, '_How to Use Magical Animals Efficiently_'. Quirking an eyebrow, he hesitantly opened the book, realising that it held many potions recipes for prank potions in combination with magical animals. There were recipes to make someone's head look like a certain animal, others could be used to make someone let out animal sounds instead of human speech. "Wow, this is brilliant," he blurted out. "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome," the twins replied, smirking. "In fact, we already chose three victims for your first prank."

"Three?" Gaoithe asked in surprise. "And who might that be? Just so you know, I will not prank my father or Pomfrey. Everyone else is all right though," he added quickly, causing the twins to laugh.

"Pranking your father would be more than stupid…"

"… No, we thought of Ron, Percy and Quirrell."

"Oh… Well, that might be a good idea," Gaoithe agreed thoughtfully. "Would you mind me showing the book to Dad? Maybe he can give us some advice."

The twins agreed, and the three friends finally headed to the Great Hall for breakfast, before Gaoithe busied himself in the common room, trying to make the outline of the griffin on the wall do something. However, as much as he touched the griffin or spoke to it, it remained irresponsive, while Mona observed his efforts with amusement and the twins tried to give him useful tips.

Finally, Gaoithe slapped his hand against the wall in frustration. "Oh, I give up. I need to go home to have Christmas with my Dad anyway instead of wasting my time here."

"Gaoithe!" the twins suddenly shouted simultaneously and pulled him back, while they looked wide-eyed at the griffin that let out a small hiss.

Gaoithe followed his friends' look and noticed that the griffin's mouth had changed and now looked like a handle. "Is that a door?" he asked incredulously and carefully tried to pull the handle downwards.

The griffin slid sideward, revealing an opening in the wall. '_This is Dad's living room_,' Gaoithe realised in surprise and slowly stepped through the open door. "The griffin is a door, and it's possible to open it by saying where we want to go," he said to the twins, who were watching him in amazement. He walked in front of the painting, from where Mona was observing him, clearly amused.

=It will only work for those, whom you let in on my secret. But let me warn you. Don't tell many people. I believe that your twin friends and your father are enough. The connection to your father's quarters will remain, until you or anyone knowing the secret changes it to a different destination.=

"Thank you," Gaoithe replied. "I'll try it out right away. Oh wait, will it work on the way back too?"

=You should know that you have to transform in order to communicate with me,= Mona told him, sounding very bored.

Sighing, Gaoithe quickly transformed, before he repeated his question.

=You can either leave the door open or just tap the wall at the same spot and say that you want to go home to Merlin.=

=All right. Thank you, Lady Mona,= Gaoithe said gratefully and changed back into his human form. He fetched the books that he had received from the twins, walked back to the griffin on the wall and laid his hand on it, whispering, "To my father's quarters please."

As earlier, the door opened towards Severus' living room, and Gaoithe stepped through, seeing that his father was sitting in his favourite armchair, reading a book, which he had received from Poppy. Next to him on the floor was a huge present, wrapped in dark green paper with small white animals playing on the wrapping.

"Gaoithe, this is from Minerva, Poppy, Professor Flitwick and me together," Severus explained and motioned for Gaoithe to open the large present.

Gaoithe obeyed and carefully took the wrapping off, revealing… "What is this?" he asked in surprise, causing Severus to laugh.

"Gaoithe, this is a cat's bed; something for cats to play in, just like your perch when you're in your phoenix form. The useful point about it is that you just have to tap it with your paw or whatever you have in the form you are, and it'll transform to suit the animal form that you have."

"Wow," Gaoithe said, stunned. "That's a brilliant idea. Thank you so much," he added, chuckling at the idea of changing into an elephant and making the cat's bed transform to suit that form in his dormitory.

"Gaoithe," Severus' voice pulled the boy out of his amusing thoughts. "Thank you very much for the memories you gave me. That was a surprise to say the least."

"You're welcome," Gaoithe replied softly. "I loved the memories of you and Mum together. You were so sweet."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I see that my meddling colleagues did a great job assisting you."

Gaoithe grinned. "Yes Dad, the Headmaster, the cat professor, my Head of House and Professors Sprout and Flitwick helped me with that, especially Professor Dumbledore. He taught me how to use his Pensieve and put the memories into phials for you."

He hesitantly showed Severus his new book. "The twins gave this to me, and we'd like to somehow prank their brothers and Professor Quirrell. Could you perhaps help me decide on something that is not dangerous for anyone?"

Severus threw his son a sharp look and let out an exasperated sigh. "Gaoithe, what did I advise you about playing pranks on people? Let me tell you something." Seeing that Goaithe looked at him expectantly, he continued, "the next time you're grounded, you will spend the time here at home, and I'm going to keep an eye on you."

"Yes Dad," Gaoithe replied quietly, averting his eyes to the floor. '_He is right. I'm nearly as bad as Fawkes_,' he thought, feeling very uncomfortable at the thought. "I promise not to do so much nonsense anymore."

"Very well then, may I borrow your book until tomorrow? I'll think about something for the three candidates you mentioned," Severus promised, smiling at his son.

"Yes, thank you, Dad. I only have time in the afternoon though. Madam Hooch promised to teach the twins and me Aquaquid in the morning, and in the evening, I have to assist the Headmaster with his computer research," Gaoithe replied thoughtfully.

"My, you're having a busy schedule, aren't you?" Severus asked, smirking, causing Gaoithe to chuckle.

'_Yes, especially now that I've resolved the griffin's secret, I need much time to speak with the animals in order to find out more secrets_,' he mused, unaware of the fact that the griffin's secret would come in very handy some time.

風の力を持つハリー

"You mustn't try to fly, Gaoithe. You have to imagine swimming three dimensionally, even if there isn't any water," Madam Hooch explained patiently. "The instant you physically leave the water, it'll give you a push and your magic takes over. Then you'll be able to swim upwards through the air and catch the Snitch. If you fly on a broom, you just think about flying and not about jumping to catch it, right? It's very similar."

"Oh well, yes," Gaoithe had to admit and spent the rest of the morning together with the twins, practising to catch the Snitch while swimming. By the time they had to go to the Great Hall for lunch, the three boys managed to play Aquaquid without problems. "Thank you so much, Madam Hooch. We'll teach the others when they come back," he happily thanked the teacher.

"You're welcome," Hooch replied, grinning. "Maybe we can teach the other Houses too and set up an Aquaquid tournament on the lake in summer. I'll suggest the matter to the Headmaster."

風の力を持つハリー

After lunch, Gaoithe accompanied his father home. '_I wonder if he chose a prank potion and which he decided on_,' he thought but hesitated to ask.

"Well, are you up to brew to potions?" Severus queried, smirking at his son.

"Of course," Gaoithe said eagerly. "What are we going to brew?"

"I thought we could brew a combination of these two pranks," Severus replied, showing Gaoithe two different recipes. "I don't think it's worth using it on Professor Quirrell though, considering that he is stuttering anyway."

Gaoithe looked at the recipes with interest, realising that one of them changed someone's head into that of a griffin, while the other made people let out sounds of a griffin instead of human words whenever they opened their mouth. "Hmm, wouldn't it be better to choose a snake instead of a griffin, considering that we want to play the prank on two Gryffindors?" he asked hesitantly.

Severus agreed, and the two Snapes spent the afternoon in the potions lab brewing two prank potions, which they mixed, before Severus added a few more ingredients. When they were done, they filled the liquid into two small phials, and Severus promised to spell the potions straight into Ron's and Percy's drinks at the Welcoming Feast.

"Let's have dinner at home tonight," Severus finally suggested, and they ate together in their small kitchen. "Gaoithe, Professor McGonagall and I thought about leaving for Prince Manor the day after tomorrow. Is that all right with you? We can take your book with us and brew a few more potions at the Manor. We have a fully equipped potions lab on the top floor."

"I'd love that," Gaoithe replied smiling, "and of course it's all right." '_I need to speak with Pomfrey tonight when I'm back from the Headmaster's office_,' he decided. '_She has to help me, so that Dad and the cat professor can go alone and really enjoy their holidays_.'

Later that evening however, when Gaoithe was on his way back from the Headmaster's office, something strange happened. Gaoithe was still deep in thoughts about the problem with the Headmaster's computer. They still hadn't managed to get it to work at Hogwarts. '_Maybe the wards at Hogwarts are too strong. Perhaps it would work at a different place within the magical world_,' Gaoithe wondered. '_We could take it to Aberforth Dumbledore in Hogsmeade and try if it works there_.' He pondered if he should go back and suggest his idea to the Headmaster; however, seeing that it was nearly curfew, he dismissed the thought as he recalled that he wanted to speak with his Head of House.

Gaoithe hurriedly turned to the huge staircase, when he suddenly heard a strange voice hiss something. He could barely understand the words, but it sounded like, "This is the boy. I can sense him. Quirinus, you must kill him."

'_Who is talking and whom are they speaking about_,' he wondered and slowly turned around when he suddenly felt himself being pushed backwards and fell down the stairs. The last thing he knew was that he fiercely hit his head against the stone wall, before the world turned black.

風の力を持つハリー

"Where is Gaoithe?" the twins asked Poppy, when she came into the common room to speak with her little Merlins after curfew.

"Maybe he decided to stay at home overnight," Poppy replied, frowning. Normally, Gaoithe or at least Severus used to inform her if the boy wanted to spend the night in his own room. On the other hand, it was the holidays, and Gaoithe wasn't obliged to contact her every time he decided to stay with his father.

The twins told their Head of House about their Aquaquid lesson, causing the Healer to smirk. "Well, at least it seems a little less dangerous than Quidditch, although I have to admit that I always liked playing Quidditch – until I became the Mediwitch here."

The twins laughed and bade their Head of House good night, before they climbed up to the first year boys' dormitory and waved their wands at Gaoithe's bed. "This is the perfect opportunity to play a prank on him," George chuckled, observing the mattress and sheet turn into water.

"Does this look normal?" Fred queried, casting a charm that made the transfigured bed look like a normal one.

"Yes it does," George grinned as he carefully pulled the covers over the bed. "I hope we'll notice when he comes back. I can't wait to see his face."

風の力を持つハリー

Madam Pomfrey returned to the hospital wing to look after Hagrid, who had caught some kind of stomach bug from his flobberworms, before she took the Hogwarts internal Floo to Severus' quarters, where the other four Heads of House were having tea together.

"How is Hagrid?" Professor Flitwick asked in concern.

"He is recovering nicely," Poppy replied, accepting the mug that Minerva was handing her. "Thank you, Minnie. I'll probably be able to release him in the morning. I'm just glad that it's the holidays, so that none of the students came in contact with the sick flobberworms."

"They're disgusting anyway," Minerva threw in, shuddering at the thought.

"Exactly," Poppy agreed, yawning.

The five colleagues spent the rest of the evening talking about their plans for the week until the students would return. Each of them except for Professor Sprout, who had to look after some very rare plants, were planning to go on holidays for a few days.

"Gaoithe seems to be uncomfortable at the thought of accompanying Minerva and me," Severus spoke up thoughtfully. "He seems to think that there was more between the two of us and that he'd be in our way. I could kill the Dursleys for making him believe that he was a burden to everyone."

"I hope you made it completely clear to him that he belongs to you," Poppy replied in concern. "He is such a sweet boy. I'd hate him to believe that he was a bother."

"Exactly," Minerva threw in. "I told him, but perhaps we'll have to tell him again."

"Speaking of Gaoithe," Pomfrey remembered to ask. "Is he all right, Severus? He was in bed fairly early tonight, wasn't he?"

"Gaoithe?" Severus queried in surprise, raising an eyebrow at his colleague. "I have no idea. He is not here. Wasn't he in the common room?"

"No," Poppy replied worriedly. "That's why I assumed that he was here. Well, I only stayed until about fifteen minutes after curfew, but normally, Gaoithe is very punctual. I haven't caught him out after curfew even once." She slowly rose from her chair. "Oh well, I'll go and check on him. It's time to head to bed anyway."

However, before she could make it to the fireplace, the Headmaster's voice sounded through the castle. "Poppy and Severus, come to the entrance hall immediately. We have an emergency."

The teachers exchanged an alarmed look, before they rushed out of the dungeons towards the entrance hall, taking in the unmoving boy at the bottom of the stairs leading towards the Headmaster's office.

"Is he… dead?" Minerva asked, horrified, as Poppy and Severus knelt next to the child.

"I'm not sure," Poppy said gravely, leaning over the prone figure. "No, there is a faint pulse, but…" She slowly trailed off as she hurriedly conjured a stretcher, looking very distressed for the usually calm Healer.

"He is in a coma," she explained later as she gently tucked Gaoithe into the bed next to her office and mended a small cut right above his right eye with a flick of her wand. "He must have fallen down the stairs and hit his head against the stone wall. He has a bad concussion and is completely irresponsive. We can only wait and see." With that she hurried into her office to fetch two phials, before she spelled the potions straight into the boy's system.

Severus noticed in concern how his good friend, who had much experience as a Healer and couldn't be touched easily, unobtrusively wiped a tear from her cheek. '_Oh no; is it so bad?_' he thought, horrified. Utmost concern flashed over his face, before it was proficiently hidden behind a blank mask.

Minerva waved her wand and conjured a comfortable sofa right next to the bed, before she sat down and gently pulled Severus onto the sofa next to her. "Severus, Gaoithe is strong. He will pull through," she whispered to her colleague, who remained completely silent as he stared at the unmoving form of his son.

"Minerva, Severus, there is nothing you can do for Gaoithe at the moment," Poppy said gently. "Go and sleep for a while. I'll alert you immediately if his condition changes. However, let me tell you now that it might take days or even weeks, before we might see any improvement."

"I will not leave my son like this," Severus replied firmly. "Who knows what happened to him? Maybe someone pushed him down in order to kill him. Poppy, you can go to bed. I'll fetch you immediately if Gaoithe needs you."

Pomfrey let out an exasperated sigh and said sternly, "Very well then, Minerva, I insist that you go to bed. You can't afford sitting up here all night. Remember why I ordered you to go on holidays in the first place."

"I'm going to sleep here for a while," Minerva replied softly and leaned her head against Severus shoulder, tiredly closing her eyes.

If the situation wasn't so grave, Severus would have been amused by his colleague's uncharacteristic action; however, hearing that her breathing became regular, he gently pushed her over so that her head came to rest on the other edge of the sofa, before he pulled a tissue out of his robe pocket and pointed his wand at it to transfigure it into a light blanket. He gently draped the blanket over Minerva and leaned forward, taking his son's small hand into his own.

"Gaoithe," he slowly began to whisper. "I've never loved any woman apart from your mother. She was a wonderful girl and later on the kindest and most brilliant witch I ever met. We lived nearby, and we played together on the playground since we were able to walk, Lily, Petunia and I. We often played catch ball; however, Petunia was faster than Lily, and when we were three or four years old, Lily suddenly began to summon the ball, before Petunia could catch it. She didn't do it consciously, but it was enough for me to notice that she could do magic. When I told her that she was a witch, a few years later, after my mother had told me that I was a wizard, Petunia was very upset, thinking I had called Lily a bitch. However, from the time she realised what it meant, she began to hate me, accusing me of taking her sister away from her."

He gently brushed an errand strand of hair from Gaoithe's face as he continued, "Unfortunately, when we attended Hogwarts, Merlin House was not discovered yet, and Lily was sorted into Gryffindor, while I became a Slytherin. However, we still remained best friends until our fifth year…" Severus spent the rest of the night telling Gaoithe everything about his own Hogwarts years, Lily and the Marauders, knowing that he wouldn't speak with Gaoithe about the matter if the boy was awake.

'_I should at least tell him about Lily though. He should know what a brilliant woman she was_,' he mused as he carefully released Gaoithe's hand and leaned back, tiredly closing his eyes when the first rays of the early morning sun streamed into the hospital wing. "Your mother was a wonderful woman, and you're very much alike her. I love you, Gaoithe. Please come back to me soon," he mumbled, more to himself than to his adoptive son.

He was just about to drift off to sleep, when a soft voice penetrated his mind. 'Thanks for telling me, Dad. I loved to hear about my Mum. Was she really that good at Potions?'

Severus cracked his eyes open and jerked around only to see that Gaoithe was still lying there, unmoving. '_I must be over-tired. He probably won't wake up that early_,' he thought sadly. '_But maybe…_' He once again squeezed his son's hand. "Gaoithe, do you know what happened? Did someone push you down the stairs?" he asked urgently, wondering if Professor Quirrell or someone else had found out about his son's true identity.

'Yes Dad,' Gaoithe replied slowly and mind thought to his father what he had heard the evening before.

"You managed telepathy; congratulations, son," Severus said dryly. "Now it's time to wake up and talk to me though."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe felt nothing but pain, before he suddenly could hear voices, hushed voices. They sounded panicked. Finally, he could make out Severus', Minerva's and Poppy's voices, and suddenly the pain receded some. '_That was Pomfrey. Thank Merlin_,' he thought and tried to say something. He knew that he urgently had to tell his father something, although he couldn't remember what it was. However, somehow he couldn't manage to speak or to move at all. He felt himself being surrounded by fog, and he couldn't see anything. He only heard voices, and he listened with amazement as his father began to tell him about his mother.

'_My mum must have been wonderful_,' he thought sadly. '_I wished I had a mum. Oh well, I'm very happy to have such a great father. He must have been talking to me for hours. I'm not tired at all though. But why can't I see him? Everything is just a white mist_.'

"I love you, Gaoithe. Please come back to me soon," he suddenly heard his father say.

'_I must tell him that I love him too_,' he thought urgently, trying to focus on the idea and on Severus' mind and forced all his magic into the attempt of telepathy. 'Thanks for telling me, Dad. I love you too. And I loved to hear about my Mum. Was she really that good at Potions?'

Severus and Gaoithe exchanged a few words, before Severus told him that he was going to sleep some, and he should try to get better and wake up soon. Feeling utterly exhausted from his first successful attempts at telepathy, Gaoithe tried to rest as well, but sleep didn't come; instead, the twins' cheerful voices penetrated his foggy mind.

"Gaoithe! What are you doing to yourself? How dare you manoeuvre yourself into the hospital wing just the night when we manage to play our first prank on you?"

'Prank?' Gaoithe mused; however, he slowly felt his head begin to hurt again and was not ready to use telepathy on his friends. He inwardly sighed in relief when he heard his Head of House shoo the twins out, before he heard her speak to him in a soft voice and felt the pain recede once more.

'Thank you,' he gratefully thought to the Healer, who nearly dropped her wand in surprise.

"Gaoithe, are you awake?" she queried, sounding very astonished.

'What's wrong with me? I can't see, only hear things,' Gaoithe asked.

Pomfrey let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, you fell down the stairs and hit your head against the stone wall. You have a bad concussion, and probably because it remained untreated for a few hours, you're in a coma," she explained patiently. "How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?"

'No, you made me all better,' Gaoithe replied softly. 'Thank you.'

"All right then, Gaoithe, try to rest. Your concussion is still very bad. Please only use telepathy if necessary, because it might further aggravate your condition. Tell me however, if you feel your potions wear off or sense any change of your condition."

'Okay,' Gaoithe replied quickly. 'What can I do to wake up though?'

"I believe that you can't do anything but wait, sweetie," Pomfrey said softly and gently placed a cold cloth on his forehead, wondering if the boy was able to feel any touch. She refrained from asking, however, to give him his much needed rest. "I'm glad that you're awake and able to communicate with us. Now try to sleep. Your father and Professor McGonagall are sleeping here on a sofa next to your bed, and I'm sure the twins will sneak in here again to see you at the next opportunity."

'_That's true_,' Gaoithe mused, feeling very happy to have his family and friends around as he slowly drifted off to a much needed healing unconsciousness.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe remained in a coma for nearly a week. It was early in the morning on New Year's Eve that he finally managed to open his eyes, noticing that it was dark and the hospital was only sparsely lit by a single torch between the windows near his bed.

'_I'm really awake, and I can move and see again. The strange fog is gone_,' he realised, sighing in relief as he let his eyes wander to take in his surroundings. Right next to his bed was a sofa, on which his father was fast asleep in a half-sitting position with the sleeping cat professor tucked loosely in his arms. Gaoithe couldn't help chuckling at the sight, causing Severus to jerk awake.

"Gaoithe! You're awake!" he said quietly, and for an instant, the blank mask that used to cover his face was replaced by an expression of utmost relief.

"Oh Gaoithe, thank Merlin you're all right," McGonagall said sleepily, quickly shifting away from her colleague's embrace.

"It's all right, Professor. I witnessed all of your conversations, so you don't have to hide anything from me. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't turn the voices out," Gaoithe added, noticing that the Scottish lioness blushed deeply as she glanced at his father.

"That's all right, Gaoithe. We're only glad to have you with us again," Severus replied soothingly.

風の力を持つハリー

Pomfrey grudgingly released Gaoithe but instructed him to either stay in his father's quarters or in Merlin House and rest for a few more days. "No running around the corridors, no Quidditch, Aquaquid or any other sports at least until the end of the holidays," she said sternly. "Also, I don't want you to transform into any animal until I'll tell you otherwise." Seeing that Gaoithe threw her a terrified look, she rolled her eyes and explained, "Perhaps two more weeks." She held out a small phial. "Your head might still hurt; in that case, take a sip of this headache potion; however, I want to know whenever you needed to take it. You can tell me when I come to the common room and check on you in the evenings. If your headache doesn't go away, come to see me right away."

"Okay," Gaoithe promised half-heartedly and followed his Head of House into the common room. Realising that he felt rather weak, he didn't protest when Poppy suggested that he should rest on the sofa.

"I believe that the twins will be very happy that you managed to wake up in time for New Year's Eve," the older witch said, smiling. "They have been planning a huge party in your party room just in case you woke up in time."

'_This would be such a good timing to speak with the animals_,' Gaoithe thought sadly as he absentmindedly stroked Yuki's head feathers, glad that his familiar had come to keep him company as soon as she had sensed him return to Merlin. He observed the phoenix on the tapestry ride on the unicorn, before it suddenly flashed right onto the branch over that on which the griffin was resting, spilling a huge splash of water onto the larger animal. "He is a water phoenix," Gaoithe said to Yuki in surprise. "I didn't even think about asking him what kind of phoenix he was."

#I need to practise flashing a bit more. Then I can try to flash right in front of him and cover him with ice,# Yuki chuckled, causing Gaoithe to grin.

"Maybe you could try that on Fawkes first. I think he is in dire need of someone playing a prank on him," he said, smirking as he continued to observe Marlin's antics.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the twins entered the common room, cheering upon Gaoithe's sight.

"Now I told you, Forge, that our Gaoithe would make it on time…"

"Cool Gred, let's proceed with our preparations then…"

"We must send out the invitations," the twins finished their dialogue together and fetched parchment and three quills from a nearby table, placing one of each in front of Gaoithe. "Can you write one too, please?"

Gaoithe raised an eyebrow at the twins and remained unmoving. "I believe that I have a bone to pick with the two of you," he said quietly, causing the twins to exchange a surprised look. "You told me that you played a prank on me," Gaoithe added, slightly reproachfully.

"Oh, we're sorry, Gaoithe…"

"… Everything is already reversed," the twins chuckled and explained how they had prepared Gaoithe's bed a week ago.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Gaoithe replied dryly. "How about playing that prank on these two brothers of yours, before they come back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow?"

"That's a brilliant idea," Fred and George agreed. "And it would make the perfect addition to the prank potion that you brewed for them for the Welcoming Feast. Can you flash us to Gryffindor right away?"

"I'm not allowed to transform," Gaoithe said, rolling his eyes. "Yuki, could you flash us to the Gryffindor common room please?"

#Of course,# the snow phoenix agreed and turned her back towards the boys.

Seconds later, the three mischief makers found themselves in Gryffindor. '_I should have stayed in Merlin_,' Gaoithe thought, noticing that his head begun to hurt from the fast movement. "Now, where do we begin?"

"Ronniekins first," the twins chuckled and led Gaoithe to the first year boys' dormitory.

Gaoithe watched in amazement how the twins proficiently prepared their brothers' beds, before they returned to their own common room, where they quickly scribbled the invitations for their party for all the teachers except for Professor Quirrell and asked Yuki to deliver them at breakfast in the Great Hall.

To Gaoithe's relief, Professor Quirrell was absent from breakfast. '_Thank Merlin_,' he thought. '_I don't want to meet him, especially not so soon_.'

"Gaoithe, please come to my office after breakfast. We need to speak about what happened," the Headmaster turned to him as he absentmindedly played with his food.

"No Albus," the Merlin Head of House replied in a voice that didn't allow any protest. "Gaoithe is not allowed to go anywhere apart from attending the meals, and he is not well enough for such kind of conversation yet. Maybe tomorrow. I'll let you know."

'Thank you,' Gaoithe gratefully thought to his Head of House, feeling glad that no one except for his father, the cat professor and the Healer knew that he was capable of communicating telepathically. Although he could remember what had happened, he wasn't yet ready to talk about it to anyone except for his father, whom he had already informed. Apart from that, he still had a headache from flashing with Yuki and the twins earlier.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe and the twins spent the whole day in the common room, resting and making more plans for pranks to play. Finally, dinner time came around, and all the teachers except for Professors Flitwick and Sprout, who had to eat dinner in the Great Hall together with the few students from their Houses, who had remained at Hogwarts over the holidays, gathered in the Merlin common room.

"We took the liberty to reserve our party room for tonight," the twins announced and led the surprised professors to the seventh year boys' dormitory.

Gaoithe followed the group and looked around with interest. The twins hadn't let him in on what they had planned for tonight. The room looked quite normal. The tables and chairs on the right side had been replaced by one larger table, and there was the empty playground in the middle. '_Do we need a playground for the teachers though?_' he wondered. '_And the pool is missing, but… Well, I'm not allowed to play Aquaquid anyway_.'

After dinner, the twins motioned for everyone to move to the playground. Only when Gaoithe entered that part of the huge room, he realised that there were spectator seats on one side and an enormous bookshelf that covered three sides, only interrupted by one single chair on the wall opposite of the spectator seats. In the middle of the room was a huge circle.

Gaoithe threw the twins a questioning look, unaware of the fact that each of the teachers did the same.

"Professor Flitwick and the house-elves were so kind and helped us charm this room and the books in the shelf," George explained, smirking.

"We want each of you to choose a book of your liking and take turns reading a part of it to the others," Fred added with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Well, there is no better way to spend the time until midnight than to read to each other," Professor Flitwick agreed, grinning in anticipation.

'_Oh no. I wonder what they did now. I really like Professor Flitwick. He's always ready for a good joke_,' Gaoithe mused as he stepped in front of the bookshelf, wondering what to choose, before he finally pulled '_Hogwarts: A History'_ from the shelf.


	18. Chapter 18

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 18**

"Gaoithe, we haven't heard from you in such a long time…"

"… why don't you begin?" the twins suggested, causing Gaoithe to inwardly groan.

He opened the book and chose the very first page where the four Founders of Hogwarts were introduced. "… two married couples, Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor as well as their best friends Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin began to build the castle. At first…" Gaoithe interrupted himself and looked up in confusion as he heard a multiple gasp from the teachers.

In the circle right in front of him, a white mist appeared out of nothing. It suddenly turned into four persons, two women and two men, who instantly began to bicker.

"Salazar, if you add one more of these horrible tripping staircases, I'm going to transfigure you into a baboon," the woman that seemed to be Rowena stated in a very upset voice.

"Just try, but better be careful that I won't use your limbs as potions ingredients," Salazar sneered, raising an eyebrow at his colleague.

"Ah but Rowena, a bit of fun must be," Godric threw in, before he suddenly found himself staring at the tip of his wife's wand and was transfigured into a baboon, who was joined by a second animal of the same kind almost instantly.

The two baboons ran around the small circle, pointedly turning their red backsides towards Rowena, who stood there, chuckling.

"This is quite fun indeed, but don't you think it's time to transfigure them back? Otherwise, Hogwarts will stay a baby forever instead of growing to a huge magical castle," Helga slightly chided her best friend, who obeyed and changed the two wizards back to their usual selves.

"Gaoithe, you only have to close the book…"

"… if you want them to go back into it," the twins informed him, giggling.

"No… Wait a moment," McGonagall said in excitement, laying a hand on Gaoithe's arm. "Let's watch them a little longer. This is interesting."

Three hours and many conversations of the four Founders later, Gaoithe, the twins and their teachers decided to close the book for the time being and to come back to listen to the Founders at a different time. The twins ushered them back to the dinner table, where tea and biscuits were already waiting for them.

"Gaoithe," Fred pulled him back as he was just about to take a seat next to his father.

"You better don't drink any tea," George whispered into his ear.

"Okay. Thanks," Gaoithe replied, gratefully noticing that a goblet with pumpkin juice appeared in front of him. He felt even more thankful towards the twins when everyone else's heads suddenly changed into cuckoo clocks, displaying the current time. '_Only ten minutes left until the new year_,' he thought. '_I wonder if they will change back at midnight_.'

"That was not me," he explained hastily, feeling all of the clocks' eyes glaring at him. "I was only warned not to drink any tea, because I'm not allowed to transform."

The teachers nodded in understanding and continued their conversation. Merely their voices sounded a bit bird like. At exactly midnight, all of the clocks began to chime, and on the twelfth multiple "cuckoo", everyone hurriedly turned to the so far unused part of the room, from where they heard a huge 'boom' as an enormous firework display began.

"Happy New Year," everyone cheered, and Gaoithe chuckled as the teachers' heads one by one began to change back to their usual forms.

Severus used the opportunity that everyone headed towards the fireworks to pull his son into a slight embrace. "Happy New Year, Gaoithe. I'm so glad to have you back, son."

"Thank you, Dad. Happy New Year to you too," Gaoithe replied quietly. "I'm glad to be back too, and I'm very happy for you and the cat professor. Now we only need to find a way to do something about Professor Quirrell, and I'll be the happiest person in the world."

"Good luck, Gaoithe," Severus said firmly. "I'll do whatever I can to find a solution."

風の力を持つハリー

It was late in the morning when Gaoithe woke up to a bucket of ice-cold water being poured in his face. Spluttering and coughing he opened his eyes, taking in the mischievous faces of the twins.

"Happy New Year, Gaoithe!" Fred and George cheered. "Sorry for waking you up, but we thought you shouldn't sleep all day…."

"Look, it's beautiful weather for a snowball fight."

Gaoithe glanced out of the charmed window, seeing that the grounds were covered by a thick layer of snow that twinkled in the blazing sunshine. A smile crept over his face; however the dull ache behind his temples reminded him of Poppy's warning.

"I don't think I'm supposed to participate in a snowball fight yet," he said hesitantly, "and I really need to speak with my father and the Headmaster about Professor Quirrell."

"That's true," George said thoughtfully.

"Can we talk to them together?" Fred added. "We want to know everything in order to be able to help you in case you need us."

Gaoithe agreed, and after lunch in the Great Hall, the Headmaster, Minerva, Poppy and Severus visited Gaoithe and the twins in the Merlin common room. Severus explained shortly what had happened to his son the day after Christmas, mainly to the twins, because he had already filled in his colleagues during the previous week.

"So you suspect that Quirrell is being possessed by Voldemort?" Dumbledore queried, offering lemon drops to Gaoithe and the twins.

"Gaoithe, where is the map?..."

"You-Know-How should show up on that…"

"… if he's really possessing Quirrell."

"That might be," Severus agreed with the twins, looking enquiringly at Gaoithe.

"I'll fetch it. I have it at home," the boy replied and strode to the griffin door to fetch the map from his own room.

Unfortunately, Professor Quirrell was nowhere to be seen on the map. "I wonder where he went," Dumbledore said pensively. "However, there is quite a possibility that Professor Snape's assumption might be correct. Voldemort has two reasons to be at Hogwarts." He turned to Gaoithe. "Gaoithe, do the twins know…?"

"The twins know about my real identity," Gaoithe replied hesitantly. "However, they are the only students who know."

"And they have been keeping your secret well," Dumbledore said, nodding contentedly. "Thank you boys. This makes me hope that I can entrust you with another secret."

"We swear to keep any secret," the twins replied simultaneously.

"Albus, do you think it's wise…?"

The Headmaster sighed. "Yes Minerva, I believe that we can openly discuss the matter in front of Gaoithe and his best friends. Well, one reason for him to be here is that Harry Potter is supposed to be at Hogwarts from this school year onwards, and it seems that he has already spotted him. The other reason is something, which I hid somewhere in this school, and he badly wants to have it. The item is relatively safe, but I fear that it is not safe enough, and it would be disastrous if Voldemort managed to lay his hands on it," Dumbledore explained gravely.

#Gaoithe, you should transform into a magical dove and speak with Alina here,# Marlin suddenly spoke up from the tapestry, pointing to the white dove on the tree next to him.

"I'm sorry, Marlin, but I'm not allowed to transform at the moment," Gaoithe replied hesitantly, sighing in exasperation.

#Alina will be able to help you finding a really safe place. Tell the Headmaster.#

Gaoithe quickly translated, before he cast a puppy dog look at his Head of House. "Please, may I transform only this one time, Professor?"

Pomfrey shot Gaoithe a sharp look. "I don't like it, Gaoithe. You know the conditions, under which I released you."

"Yes, I know that, but I think a worsened headache would be less bad than having Voldemort get what he wants," Gaoithe insisted. "I promise that I'll do exactly as you tell me afterwards."

"Gaoithe…" Minerva began softly, but interrupted herself when Severus laid his hand on her arm to stop her.

"Minerva, Gaoithe is right. As much as I'm concerned about his health, the Dark Lord getting the stone would be much worse."

"All right," Poppy grudgingly agreed. "You may transform, but only this one time."

"Thank you," Gaoithe said in relief and transformed into his phoenix form and further into a white dove like the one on the tapestry.

#Hello Alina. Happy New Year. Marlin instructed me to speak with you. He told me that you might be able to help me find a safe place for something.#

#Hello Gaoithe. It's time that you finally change into my form and speak with me,# Alina replied crisply, causing Gaoithe to inwardly sigh. '_Oh no, I hope she is not another Lady Mona_,' he thought, when the dove continued, #Yes my boy; I have just the right place for you. There is a Safe Room in Merlin House, but only a 'Real Merlin' can enter it.#

#A real Merlin?# Gaoithe asked curiously. #Excuse me, but…#

The dove chuckled. #A real Merlin is a witch or wizard, who is an Animagus, is sorted into Merlin House and is able to communicate with at least one of the animals here on the tapestry.#

#Ah, and where is this Safe Room?# Gaoithe queried, trying feverishly to remain calm. '_Please hurry up and tell me everything I need to know. I want to change back, because I have a splitting headache_,' he thought but patiently waited for the dove to slowly begin to explain.

#Somewhere in this House you'll find the stairs that lead down to the Merlin dungeons. In the dungeons are several rooms, and the one you need is the one with the white dove on the door. The password is 'Alina's Safe Room'.# Before Gaoithe could even ask where he could find the stairs, the dove took into the air and flew away.

Gaoithe transformed back into his phoenix form and remained unmoving for an instant, closing his eyes at the pain the transformation had caused his achy head.

"Are you all right, Gaoithe?" Severus asked in concern.

#Yes. Give me a moment please, Dad,# Gaoithe replied, before he turned to Marlin. #Marlin, can you tell me where the entrance to the dungeons is?#

The water phoenix on the tapestry smirked. #I'm sorry, my boy, but that's not my secret to tell.#

#All right, Marlin; thank you,# Gaoithe replied, groaning inwardly as he recalled the search for the griffin on the wall. He transformed back into his human form and slowly brought his forefingers to his temples to massage them in a faint attempt to feel even a slight relief from his headache.

"Gaoithe, come on, lie down on the sofa for a while," he heard Minerva's voice and allowed the cat professor to lead him to one of the sofas and help him to lie down, before Poppy pressed a phial against his lips and ordered him to drink.

He instantly felt the headache subside and gave the Healer a relieved smile. "Thank you, Professor." Turning to the Headmaster, he explained about the Merlin dungeons, finishing, "I suppose we have no choice than to search the whole House once again."

"Gaoithe, you won't go anywhere for the time being," the Merlin Head said sternly. "We're enough people who can search, while you stay here and rest for a while."

The twins and the teachers spread over the House and began to search, while Gaoithe rested on the sofa with his eyes closed, letting his mind wander around the House pondering where the entrance to the dungeons could be. Only a while later, when he felt someone sit on the edge of the sofa and heard the cat professor ask, "Are you feeling better, Gaoithe?" he opened his eyes again, only to jerk up in surprise.

"Look, over there," he exclaimed in disbelief. "That must be the entrance. The door is new."

Right next to the tapestry, a barely visible doorframe had appeared on the wall. "Let's go and have a look," he said excitedly, and together with an equally thrilled Minerva he hurried to the door. However, the door did neither open, nor was it guarded by a portrait. "Marlin, can you tell me what we have to do, please?" Gaoithe asked urgently.

#You must transform into an animal and talk to one of our midst, who will then go to the door and let you through,# Marlin informed him curtly.

"Oh Marlin, you know that I'm not allowed to transform. Couldn't you please…?" he begged the phoenix, before he translated to Minerva what Marlin had told him.

"Wait Gaoithe, would it help if I changed into my cat form?" Minerva asked thoughtfully, eyeing the animals on the tapestry.

#A non magical cat might still be able to communicate with the lynx or the griffin, but I'm not sure,# Marlin replied. #I'll ask them.#

Gaoithe groaned in annoyance as he heard Marlin talk to Lady Mona.

=You expect me to confer with a simple Muggle cat?= Mona queried in an upset voice.

#She is not a random Muggle. She is the Head of Gryffindor, you arrogant bitch,# Marlin sneered. #But it's all right. Sorry for asking, Mona.# He then turned to the lynx, who agreed, smiling, and traipsed to the door next to the tapestry.

=Hello there,= he greeted the small tabby cat. =Where do you want to go?=

=We would like to visit the Safe Room in the Merlin dungeons, Mister,= Minerva replied, meowing softly.

=I am sorry, but I can't grant you access to that room. You're not a real Merlin. I can only let you in if a real Merlin asks me.=

Gaoithe groaned in annoyance and quickly transformed into a magical lynx. =Please let us in to the Safe Room,= he asked the lynx and changed back right away, biting his lips to prevent himself from showing any pain on his face.

The door finally opened, and Minerva and Gaoithe excitedly walked down a very long and narrow staircase that ended in a small hall. On the left hand side, they could see a door.

"Alina's Safe Room," Gaoithe uttered the password, and the door opened, revealing a small room that contained nothing but a small box. '_I wonder if it's all right to look what is inside_,' he mused, but before he could voice his thought, Minerva pulled him out of the room.

"Gaoithe, let's return to the common room, so that you can rest some more before Poppy is going to kill me because of aggravating your condition. Now that we know how to come back here…"

"Okay," Gaoithe agreed immediately and followed the professor upstairs, realising in surprise that everyone was assembled in the common room, sitting there quietly and with shocked expressions on their faces.

"What happened?" Minerva queried, looking from Severus over Poppy to the Headmaster.

"Quirrell is definitely possessed by the Dark Lord," Severus explained, pointing to the Marauders' Map that was still lying open on the table. "They are in his office."

Gaoithe let himself sink back onto the sofa, while Minerva searched the Map for the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor's office. There was only one black spot with two names next to it. 'Quirinus Quirrell' and 'Tom Riddle'.

"We found the Safe Room," she informed the others, "and we should retrieve the stone and put it there as soon as possible."

"Which is impossible at the moment, because Filius had to go home over the weekend for his granddaughter's wedding. He will only be back in time for breakfast the day after tomorrow. He has excused himself from the Welcoming Feast tomorrow evening," Dumbledore said gravely. "Very well then, Severus and I will do some intense research about spirits. Other than that, let's act towards Quirinus as if we didn't know his secret. Now I'm going to attend dinner in the Great Hall so as to not make him suspicious, but if you want to eat here together to further discuss the matter…"

Everyone agreed and had dinner together in the Merlin common room. Half-way through the meal, Poppy glared at Minerva. "Can you tell me what the two of you did to aggravate Gaoithe's condition even further?"

"I had to transform once again," Gaoithe admitted quietly. "I'm sorry, Professor."

Poppy shook her head in exasperation and looked at Severus. "Severus, I'm at a loss what to do with your son."

"Poppy, I'm sorry. It's my fault as well," Minerva threw in and explained what had happened.

"Gaoithe, if this happens again, you will be grounded for a month, and you will spend the month at home, not here together with your friends," Severus spoke up sternly. "Do you understand me, Gaoithe? If you're not responsible enough to take care of yourself, I'll have to keep an eye on you."

'_I think it is responsible to try preventing the Dark Lord from getting the stone_,' Gaoithe mused but didn't want to talk back. "Yes Dad," he said quietly.

After dinner, Pomfrey ordered him to go to bed right away, and Gaoithe complied, not only because he felt miserable enough to obey, but also because he wanted to have some quiet time to think of a way to retrieve the stone as soon as possible, now that they knew a safe place to keep it. '_I wonder what the stone does_,' he thought. '_Why does the Dark Lord want to have it?_'

"Gaoithe?"

"Are you awake?" the twins' voices penetrated his mind, causing him to blink.

"Hi," he said tiredly but felt suddenly wide awake when the twins motioned for him to get up and follow them back into the common room.

"Pomfrey is going to kill me," he whispered, anxiously glancing around.

"Don't worry. She was called to Hufflepuff and said she'd return after curfew to check on you," Fred reassured him.

"Gaoithe, let's go and retrieve the stone," George said urgently. "We can use the griffin door, can't we?"

Gaoithe put a hand to his forehead in shock. '_Of course; how could I forget that? I didn't even think of it_,' he thought in amazement. "Okay, let's try." He strode to the griffin door and pleaded, "Please take us to the Philosopher's stone" as he placed his hand on the wall.

The door opened, and the three boys stepped through, noticing that the door indeed didn't lead to Severus' living room anymore. Instead, they found themselves in a dark stone room.

"There!" George shouted, pointing to a red stone that hovered just a little above their heads in the middle of the room.

'_That looks like a stone, but why is it red?_' Gaoithe wondered. However, as much as they tried to grab the stone out of the air, the red object firmly remained in its position.

"We probably have to try with magic," Gaoithe suggested, although he had no idea what spell they could possibly use, except from 'Accio,' but it was very unbelievable that such a simple spell would work.

"Gaoithe, didn't you manage to do wish magic last year?" Fred remembered.

"Right; maybe you can try to summon it," his brother agreed.

"Hmmm, I'm not sure, but I can try," Gaoithe said pensively and concentrated on the stone that he wished to take into safety, using all the magic he could summon. However, the stone remained unmoving.

Before the three boys could further discuss the topic, they heard quick steps from behind and turned around in shock.

"What do you think you're doing, Gaoithe?" Severus asked sternly as he stepped next to his son. "As far as I understood, your Head of House ordered you to remain in bed for the rest of the evening."

Gaoithe groaned in exasperation. "Dad, that's completely unimportant now. How can we retrieve the stone, so that we can place it into the Safe Room?" he asked impatiently and explained what they had tried so far.

Severus remained thoughtful for an instant, before he instructed the twins to put their right hands on Gaoithe's, before he laid his own hand on top. "Now, you need to push your magic in the direction of Gaoithe's hand, so that he can use your magic in addition to his own, which might still be too weak to summon such a powerful object. I will assist using my own wish magic."

Gaoithe felt his father's and his friends' magic, and together with Severus he once more wished the stone to come into his hand. All of a sudden, the stone vanished from its spot, and when Gaoithe carefully opened his right hand, he realised that he was already holding the stone in his hand.

"All right then, let's return to Merlin and put it away," he suggested, and the four wizards quickly stepped back through the griffin door. "Fred? George?" Gaoithe asked quietly, "Could you please transform into your parrot forms and try to speak with the animals? We need one of the animals to come and open the door to the dungeons, err… to the Safe Room, for us."

The twins agreed, but before they could even transform into their parrot forms, Marlin showed himself from his best side and opened the door himself.

#I'm sorry that I got you into trouble earlier, Gaoithe,# he apologised to the boy. #That was not my intention.#

"Thank you, Marlin," Gaoithe replied softly and led the twins and his father down to the dungeons.

Gaoithe and the twins entered the Safe Room; however, Severus was not able to step inside.

"Oh right," Gaoithe remembered what the dove had told him. "You can't enter the room, because you're not a Merlin. Just wait here, please. On the other hand… Why was the cat professor able to get inside the room then? That's strange."

"Gaoithe, can you call Yuki and ask her to fetch one of our pillows?" Fred suggested, and his brother agreed immediately.

"That's a good idea. Who knows who might enter this room. The stone will be safer inside a harmless looking pillow."

A few minutes later, anyone entering the room would only be able to see a small box as well as a normal pillow that did not look as if a very strong magical object was hidden inside. Gaoithe shortly contemplated exploring the box; however, he didn't feel overly well and decided to rather come back at a different time, glad that none of the others suggested opening the box. When the four wizards returned to the common room, Severus glared at his son.

"Gaoithe, as much as I appreciate that the stone is safe now, you need to obey. Do you remember what I told you earlier about what would happen if you disobeyed your Head of House again?"

"Yes Dad. I'm grounded in your quarters for a month," Gaoithe replied, sighing. "Dad, can't you just forgive me this one more time? It was really important, and Pomfrey doesn't know anyway."

"Professor Pomfrey," Severus automatically corrected his son.

"Please Professor…"

"… It's our fault…"

"… because we dragged him with us. It was our idea," the twins explained quickly, causing Severus to smirk.

"Only if you promise to keep an eye on him," he said finally. "If he does anything stupid again, the two of you will serve detention in the Potions classroom. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir."

"Crystal clear, sir," the twins replied.

"That's unfair, and I don't need babysitters," Gaoithe mumbled quietly, before he suddenly remembered to ask, "Dad, what is the Philosopher's stone? Why does the Dark Lord want to lay his hands on it?"

Severus sighed as he slowly ran his hand through his hair. "As far as I know, the owner gains immortality; however, the less people are aware of this, the safer the stone will be."

"We won't tell anyone," the three friends promised sincerely.

"Thank you so much for telling us, Dad," Gaoithe added, before he said good night to his father and friends and went back to bed, pondering what would be the next problem that was going to occur around him.

風の力を持つハリー

On the following day, the students returned from their winter holidays. Before Gaoithe knew what happened, Hermione pulled him into a bear hug and said reproachfully, "You didn't even write once. You know that I don't have an owl and can't write if you don't send me a letter first."

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe apologized and whispered into her ear what had happened, before he carefully freed himself from the girl's embrace. "But keep quiet about it. No one is supposed to know about the matter. The twins, the five Heads and the Headmaster know; that's all."

Hermione looked at her friend in shock. "Well, I just hope they'll be able to do something about him quickly. You shouldn't be alone in the halls in any case."

'_Why do witches always have to make such a fuss?_' Gaoithe thought, feeling annoyed but also grateful towards his classmate.

When their House mates heard about the New Year's Eve party, they wanted to try out the books corner right away.

"Let's have a welcoming reading party tonight," Cedric suggested eagerly.

"Oh oh, good idea, but I don't think our Head of House will agree…"

"… We had a bit of trouble with her last night…"

"… due to some unplanned activities…"

"… and she is in a very bad mood today," the twins admitted.

"Sorry," Gaoithe muttered and averted his eyes to the table, evading the enquiring looks from his House mates.

"Oh well, then we'll do it on the weekend," Katie said softly. "We can wait a few days."

"No, I have a better idea," Draco threw in. "Let's have a midnight party tonight."

Everyone agreed, and at exactly midnight, the twins, who had offered to stay awake, began to rouse their House mates. While Fred hurried through the boys' dormitories, George changed into his parrot form and flew up to the girls' dormitories and woke up Katie and her roommates, who had agreed to wake up the girls.

Unfortunately, the tortoise that was guarding the connecting door between the common room and Madam Pomfrey's office, a good friend of Helga Hufflepuff like she had told Gaoithe a few months ago, noticed that all Merlin students headed up to the unused boys' dormitories. She informed Helga's portrait in the Healer's office of the students' atrocious behaviour, and Helga's portrait in Poppy's bedroom alerted the Merlin Head of House, who knew immediately where to find her wards and ended the party before it had even begun.

"If you had asked me, I'd certainly allowed you to have a reading hour before going to bed," she said in an angry but quiet voice. "However, I will not tolerate nightly activities. You need your sleep, which is very important in order to stay healthy and be able to study properly. For a week from tomorrow onwards, your curfew and bed time will be one hour earlier. And now go back to bed before I remember to take House points." With that Poppy returned to the common room and observed the students hurry back to their dormitories. In spite of her harsh words and the punishment she felt very proud of her students, who got along with each other so well compared to what she used to hear from other Houses.

風の力を持つハリー

The following week passed relatively uneventfully, especially for Gaoithe, who was neither allowed to participate in Quidditch or Aquaquid practice nor to transform into any animal. While the Merlin students didn't mind their earlier curfew, because they loved to hang out in the common room together anyway, they were very annoyed by their early bedtime and resolved to not break the rules for at least a few weeks. However, that was easier said than done, at least for Gaoithe and his best friends.

Just on the day after his Head of House had allowed him to slowly begin to transform again, Gaoithe saw by chance that Professor Quirrell headed into the forbidden forest right after the last afternoon class.

'_I wonder what he is up to_,' he thought and hurriedly transformed into a Lesothosaurus, a small magical dinosaur that could run very fast and was able to change its colour, before he rushed into the forest after the possessed professor.

Carefully adjusting his colour to the surroundings in order not to be seen, Gaoithe followed Quirrell deep into the forbidden forest, hiding behind a tree when the professor suddenly stopped walking. Horrified, Gaoithe observed how the man began to slaughter a unicorn. However, remembering by whom the man was possessed, he didn't dare interfering. Instead, he quickly turned away, feeling very nauseated and unable to watch even more. As fast as his dinosaur feet carried him, he left the forest and strode back to the castle. '_I need to tell Dad_,' he thought as he went, so shocked that he completely forgot that he had a faster method to travel if he transformed into his phoenix form. He was pulled back to reality when Hagrid suddenly stepped into his way.

"'Av I 'ad a bit much ter drink, or do we 'ave a Lesothosaurus on t'Hogwarts grounds?" Hagrid shouted with apparent enthusiasm.

'_I could tell him about the unicorn_,' Gaoithe mused and transformed back into his phoenix form and further into his human form.

"Ah, Gaoithe!" Hagrid exclaimed. "I already thought me eyes were playin' pranks on me."

"Hagrid, I must tell you something," Gaoithe whispered, anxiously glancing around. "I just saw Quirrell kill a unicorn."

"You wha'?" Hagrid asked in disbelief. "Can yeh show me?"

Gaoithe hesitantly nodded. "Grab my tail feathers," he instructed the half-giant, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed Hagrid into the forest, where only the dead unicorn was left. '_Wow, Hagrid is really big and heavy. It's much more difficult to flash him than Dad or the twins_,' he mused, quickly turning away from the horrible sight.

"Are yeh sure tha' it was Professor Quirrell tha' did this?" Hagrid queried, causing Gaoithe to nod.

"Well, then flash me back to my hut and tell me what you ha' ter do in the fores' anyways and why you were in a Lesothosaurus form," Hagrid suggested.

Gaoithe obeyed and looked around curiously, while Hagrid put on the kettle and prepared tea, placing a small plate with rock cakes in front of the boy. Suddenly remembering why he was there, he told Hagrid that he had seen Quirrell and had followed him to see what he was doing in the forest, because he had noticed him enter the forest several times before.

"What's this?" he suddenly interrupted himself, pointing to an egg that was lying in front of the fireplace and suddenly began to crack.

"That is a dragon's egg, Gaoithe," Hagrid replied proudly and told the boy how he had ever wanted to have a dragon's egg and finally managed to receive one. "Oh, I think it's time fer dinner. Yeh can come back later in the evenin' if yer interested. It might'a hatched by then."

"I'd love to see that," Gaoithe replied warmly. "Would you mind if I brought my best friends?"

"Of course not," Hagrid laughed, patting Gaoithe's back. "Bring as many as you can fit in here."

"Thank you, Hagrid," Gaoithe said, smiling, before he left the hut together with the half-giant to head to the Great Hall. '_I'll ask the twins, Hermione and… hmm, perhaps Draco? Or Neville? Both, but we can't just leave Blaise out. I'd have to invite him too, but that's too many people in Hagrid's hut. Oh well, then I'll only ask Hermione, Draco and the twins_,' he mused while he absentmindedly ate his dinner. '_Neville probably wouldn't dare leaving the House after curfew anyway._'

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" Hermione suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.

'Mione, I need to speak with you, Draco and the twins in secret,' Gaoithe thought to the girl, who let out a gasp but quieted when Gaoithe shot her a warning look. 'Yes, I managed telepathy, but so far no one except for my father and our Head of House know.'

風の力を持つハリー

During the evening, Gaoithe managed to speak with Hermione, Draco and the twins, and the five friends decided to meet in Gaoithe's dormitory and flash from there in order not to be seen by the old tortoise. As soon as Pomfrey had bid everyone good night and had returned to the hospital wing, the five friends excused themselves and hurried towards the first year boys' dormitory.

"Fred and George, could you perhaps change into your parrot forms and fly outside? I already flashed Hagrid this afternoon, and I don't think I can flash all the four of you together," Gaoithe asked the twins, who agreed and transformed right away.

"You should do that more often," Hermione said in amazement. "I had already forgotten how beautiful your forms were."

"That's true," Draco agreed. "Their colours are absolutely cool, and their parrot forms really fit them. Now shall we go?"

"Okay. Meet us in front of the entrance doors," Gaoithe instructed the twins, before he transformed and flashed Hermione and Draco out onto the grounds, which were still covered by a thick layer of snow.

A few minutes later, the twins arrived and transformed back into their human forms, unbeknownst of the pair of eyes that was interestedly observing their actions from within the castle. Giggling and chuckling, the five friends walked down to Hagrid's hut, glad that the snow made everything so bright that they could easily recognise the way.

It took a few minutes, before Hagrid opened the door and let them in, hastily wiping a few flames from his beard.

"Hagrid, what happened?" Hermione asked in shock.

"A real dragon!" the twins exclaimed as Hagrid tried to grab a moving something that blasted more flames towards the group.

"Ah no, Norbert, stop misbehavin'," Hagrid gently scolded the dragon. "He…"

"Norbert?" Hermione asked incredulously. "You named a dragon Norbert?"

"Yeah, I though' it was fittin'. Bless 'im, isn't 'e cute? 'E jus' hatched; only an hour ago," Hagrid replied, trying to make the dragon baby lie down in front of the fireplace. "Now be a good lad, Norbert," he cooed, making everyone laugh.

'_Cute?_' Gaoithe mused, quirking an eyebrow. '_I'd rather think he is dangerous, even if he's still a baby. Maybe I should transform into a dragon and speak with him, but the hut is too small. Maybe I can ask Hagrid if we can take him outside,_' he resolved.

"Hagrid, can we take Norbert outside, so that I can transform and speak with him for a while?"

The half-giant nodded eagerly and scooped the dragon up in his arms to head outside. Behind the hut, Gaoithe transformed into a dragon and addressed the baby dragon.

=Hello Norbert, do you understand me? Please be nice to Hagrid. He is a very good man, and on Saturday, I'll come and play with you.=

=I'd love that. I don't like it in there. I can't even properly spread my wings,= the baby dragon replied, causing Gaoithe to nod in understanding.

=It's a bit small for you in the hut. I understand that. On Saturday, we'll try to fly together. And I'll ask Hagrid to think about keeping you outside,= Gaoithe promised.

=Oh yes, that's better,= Norbert replied contentedly, blasting a small amount of fire at Hagrid, who was standing nearby.

Seeing that his friends seemed to be freezing in the cold winter air, Gaoithe told the baby dragon, =I'm sorry, Norbert, but for the time being we have to return inside.=

The dragon grudgingly agreed, and Gaoithe quickly transformed back. As soon as the friends had once more made themselves comfortable in Hagrid's hut with huge mugs of hot tea in front of them, he explained to the others what Norbert had said and that he had promised him to go flying together.

"Hagrid, if you don't mind me asking," Draco began to query, when they heard a sharp knock at the door.

"Oh no!" Hagrid groaned and hurriedly threw a thick blanket over Norbert, which did not go well with the baby dragon.

Before Hagrid had even reached the door, the blanket stood in flames. =Don't cover me, you idiot. It's too dark,= Gaoithe heard the baby dragon mumble in an upset voice.

"Shhh, Norbert, it's all right. We need to hide you for a moment," Gaoithe said soothingly, carefully placing a hand on the small dragon's back in an attempt to calm the animal.

"Hagrid, as you probably know, our brother Charlie works with dragons…"

"… Shall we ask him to fetch Norbert and keep him for you?" the twins asked, while they magically extinguished the flames.

"Yea', I won't be able ta keep him 'ere," Hagrid replied sadly, quickly wiping a huge tear from his cheek, before he finally opened the door.

Seconds later, Professor McGonagall entered the hut, followed by a protesting Ronald Weasley.

'_Oh no, I'm so stupid. We shouldn't have watched Hagrid trying to hide Norbert. We should have hidden as well_,' Gaoithe groaned inwardly. The friends hadn't even thought about it.

"No, Mr. Weasley, your classmates should know who alerted me to their presence here," the cat professor said firmly, letting her sharp eyes wander around the room. "I was unaware of the fact that Professor Pomfrey set a later curfew for Merlin House this week," she finally continued, glaring at each of the five friends as she was speaking.

"No Professor, sorry, but we needed to discuss something with Hagrid," Gaoithe spoke up quickly, while the twins shot murderous looks at their younger brother. 'This afternoon, I saw Quirrell go into the forest and kill a unicorn,' he mind thought to the professor, not wanting to discuss this in front of Ron.

"You could have come during the day or ask your Head of House for a special permission," Minerva said sternly. "Follow me back to the castle."

"Ron, you're stupid…"

"… Is that your way of making friends with your classmates?" the twins asked, glaring at their brother.

"They don't want to be friends with me anyway, because they think they're better than everyone else because of being in Merlin," Ron gave back snippily as he walked next to the professor, followed by the five Merlin students, who were quietly talking with each other.

The cat professor strode ahead and ushered the small group into the entrance hall. '_Thank Merlin; at least it's warm here_,' Gaoithe thought, throwing the teacher an anxious look.

McGonagall sternly eyed the six students, her mouth stretched to a thin line. "The six of you will serve an evening of detention with Professor Snape. I'll inform you at breakfast tomorrow about the exact time."

"The six of us?" Draco couldn't help chuckling, causing Ron to throw the professor a livid glare.

"I didn't do anything," he complained indignantly.

"Mr. Weasley, let me remind you that you were out of Gryffindor after curfew," the Gryffindor Head replied sternly. "You will serve your detention together with the others."

"Excuse me, Professor, but does it have to be my father?" Gaoithe spoke up hesitantly. '_Does Dad have to get to know everything?_' he thought in annoyance.

Minerva sighed. "Mr. Snape, your father insists upon overseeing all detentions involving you and the twins in the near future. However, tomorrow probably won't be convenient for your father." She unobtrusively glanced at Gaoithe, noticing that he apparently didn't understand the hint. "Now I suggest that you head back to your Houses, before I remember to take House points."

"Oh no! I hope he won't ground me," Gaoithe said on their way back to Merlin and explained to Hermione and Draco about his father's threat.

"I don't think he'll ground you…"

"… since we were all together…"

"… but he threatened to give us detention," the twins replied, exchanging an exasperated look.


	19. Chapter 19

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

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**Chapter 19**

When Gaoithe woke up in the morning, Yuki had a letter in her beak, which she held out for him. '_Oh no; it's from the cat professor_,' he realised and opened the parchment with mixed feelings.

'_Good morning, Gaoithe.  
__Please inform Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy and the Weasley twins that your detention will take place tomorrow evening right after dinner.  
__I hope to see you at dinner tonight in your father's quarters. You probably remember that it is his birthday today. I'll excuse you with your Head of House. We can speak about what you told me in Hagrid's hut last night. Congratulations on managing telepathy by the way. That was very impressive.  
__Minerva McGonagall_'

'_Today is Dad's birthday_!' Gaoithe realised in shock. '_Oh no! I completely forgot about it. I don't even have a present_.' He pondered the matter for a while and finally decided to flash to Hagrid's hut once more after his last afternoon class. '_Maybe Hagrid can help me again to gather potions ingredients from magical animals, into which I can transform_.'

"Gaoithe, you need to hurry, or we'll be late for breakfast," Neville suddenly called out, pulling him out of his thoughts.

風の力を持つハリー

After Healing, which was his last afternoon class, Gaoithe immediately flashed to Hagrid's hut. "Hagrid, I'm sorry to disturb you again so soon," he apologized to the half-giant, who was trying to calm down Norbert.

"Ye're not disturbin' me, Gaoithe. I'll make a cuppa tea," Hagrid replied and stood up to put on the kettle.

"No Hagrid thank you," Gaoithe said hesitantly and explained.

"Oh okay," Hagrid agreed and placed a huge old tome in front of the boy. It was entitled, '_Magical animals and how to use them'_. "Let's go through this'n decide wha' ingredien's you want to give to yer dad. It must be summat tha' I can 'arvest easily, considerin' tha' we only 'ave an 'our 'til dinner."

During the next hour, Hagrid made Gaoithe transform into six different animals, of which he knew how to efficiently harvest valuable potions ingredients. Gaoithe thanked the half-giant profusely and promised to ask the twins to write to their brother Charlie because of Norbert as soon as possible, before he flashed home, straight into his own room. He transformed into his human form, but instead of heading into the living room, he sat on the edge of his bed.

'_Oh no, I forgot to tell Hagrid that Norbert is a girl_,' he remembered, feeling very stupid. He hesitantly glanced at the door that lead to the living room. '_Maybe I shouldn't disturb Dad and the cat professor_,' he mused, toying with the present box in his hands. '_It's great for him that he finally found a woman, whom he can love like he loved my Mum, and probably they'd rather spend the evening without being disturbed by a student_.' His thoughts wandered back to the time he had spent in the coma, where he had unwillingly heard the conversations between the two teachers, realising how they quickly became close, apparently driven by the concern about him. '_I just hope Dad will still love me_,' he thought as he hesitantly opened the door and stepped into the living room.

"Gaoithe!" Severus immediately called him into the kitchen.

"I already worried if you had received my message at all," Minerva said, throwing Gaoithe a concerned look.

"Yes, I did. Thank you," Gaoithe replied softly. "I'm sorry for being so late. Happy Birthday, Dad." He hesitantly put the present on the table in front of his father and took his seat, right before dinner appeared on the table.

If Gaoithe had been afraid to be in the adults' way, he soon realised with relief that his father and the cat professor both behaved completely normal. His father asked about what he had told Minerva last night, and Gaoithe admitted that he had followed Quirrell into the forest as a dinosaur.

"I do not appreciate that you followed him into the forest at all; however, it was good that you returned immediately and spoke with Hagrid," Severus said gently. "The Headmaster and I are still doing research about spirits, and the house-elves are trying to find something out as well."

"Dad, do you want us to search the library as well? I'm sure Hermione, Draco and the twins would love to help me look for a spell," Gaoithe suggested eagerly.

"No Gaoithe. I want you to use your free time to study, have fun and rest. Leave these things to the adults," Severus said firmly.

"Yes Dad," Gaoithe replied a bit too quickly. On one hand it felt wonderful to have an adult offering to solve the problems for him, on the other hand he wasn't used to being helped and wanted to make his own efforts to achieve a solution to the problem.

"And we mean that, Gaoithe," Minerva interrupted his thoughts. "You also need to take better care of yourself. We don't appreciate seeing you run around the grounds after curfew, especially with Professor Quirrell and his guest running around as well."

"Minerva is right, Gaoithe," Severus said sternly. "That was very dangerous, and I wasn't pleased at all when I heard about it."

"All right. I'm sorry," Gaoithe said quietly, averting his eyes to the table, unaware of the concerned looks the adults exchanged.

Severus cleared his throat and ran his right hand through his hair. "Gaoithe, there is something we wanted to speak about with you," he finally changed the topic.

'_Oh no! Is there anything else I did wrong?_' Gaoithe thought and looked up, terrified. However, his father and the cat professor were smiling at him.

"Gaoithe, you already know that Minerva and I have become more than just colleagues," Severus began hesitantly, making Gaoithe inwardly chuckle.

'_Dad seems very excited_,' he thought with amusement. "Yes Dad," he replied, chuckling.

"Well, we're thinking about connecting our quarters, so that we can more easily visit each other," Severus continued, unsurely glancing at Minerva.

The cat professor continued in a soft voice, "However, we wanted to ask you beforehand what you think about the matter. Would it be all right for you to share your quarters and of course your father with me?"

"Of course, I'd love it," Gaoithe replied softly, before he asked hesitantly, "Will I still be able to visit and…"

"Of course, Gaoithe!" Minerva and Severus replied simultaneously. "Gaoithe, this will always be your home, and I'll always be your father."

'Will the cat professor be my mother then?' Gaoithe mind thought to Severus. 'I'd like that.' With surprise he noticed that Severus' always pale cheeks turned slightly pink.

'I believe that is something that you and Minerva have to decide; however, I'd wait and live together with her for a while before asking,' Severus thought back.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe didn't have to wait long, before he could make his experience living together with the cat professor. In time for curfew, he used the griffin door to return to the common room.

"I didn't expect you so early, Gaoithe," his Head of House greeted him in surprise. "Professor McGonagall excused you for tonight."

"I thought I'd give them some time alone, Professor," Gaoithe replied softly, noticing that the Healer smiled at his words.

"Is everything all right, Gaoithe?" she asked gently, carefully pushing an errand strand of hair out of his face.

"Yes," Gaoithe replied sincerely, smiling back at the professor.

"You'll see; everything will work out well," Poppy said soothingly, before she instructed the students to go to bed soon and took her leave.

Gaoithe spent a while in the common room, talking with his friends and House mates, before he retired to bed. Uncertain if Severus and Minerva wanted to admit their relationship in front of the whole school, he kept quiet about the events of the evening, feeling very reassured by the fact that at least his Head of House knew about it and would be able and willing to listen to him if he had any problems or questions.

'_Dad was very cute tonight. I wonder why he blushed when I asked him about the cat professor. I've never seen him blush before_,' he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Unfortunately, two hours later, he woke up to a sharp pain in his scar. '_Oh no! What is it now?_' he wondered. '_Quirrell shouldn't be able to come near me here_.' After a while, the sharp pain receded and was replaced by a normal headache that kept him from falling asleep easily. _'I'm going to do some research about spirits_,' he decided. '_If I could find a way to interact with the people in the book when they come out, I could ask the Founders if they know anything. Maybe I'd even be able to speak with Merlin_.'

He scrambled out of bed and headed to the seventh year boys' dormitory, glad that the room with the bookshelves was still there. Pulling '_Hogwarts: A History_' out of the shelf, he skimmed the book for the first mentioning of Merlin House. He hesitantly began to read until instants later the four Founders appeared on the stage together with what seemed to be a ghost.

'_That must be Merlin_,' he mused in surprise. '_But didn't Peeves say that Merlin didn't have a ghost form? And where is he now if he was a ghost in earlier times?_'

"Excuse me," he excitedly addressed the Founders, only to realise that they didn't show any reaction. '_Apparently, they can neither hear nor see me_,' he thought in exasperation, feverishly pondering what to do. '_It would be easy to ask Flitwick if there was a charm for that; but I want to speak to them now. Maybe I can make them interact with me by wish magic_,' he mused, tiredly rubbing his forehead.

Summoning as much magic as he could, he wished to be able to communicate with the Founders and the ghost, before he once again called out to them.

To Gaoithe's relief, the Founders suddenly noticed him and stood in front of him, looking down in confusion.

"Hello little one," Helga Hufflepuff was the first to speak. "Who are you, my boy?"

"I am Gaoithe Snape, I live in the twentieth century, and I read you out of the book '_Hogwarts: A History'_," Gaoithe explained shyly.

"Snape?" Salazar Slytherin growled. "I've never heard of that name."

"Helga, the boy must be delirious," Godric Gryffindor said in disbelief, looking pointedly at his colleague.

Helga leaned down and quickly felt Gaoithe's forehead. "No. He feels a bit warm but not enough to be delirious."

"No," Rowena said pensively. "I know him. He is going to free the magical world from a very dark wizard. And I think he is going to play a role in Merlin House."

"Merlin House? That means you're really going to pull through with the plan?" the ghost asked in apparent excitement.

Rowena nodded, smiling at the ghost.

"Excuse me, sir," Gaoithe, who had followed the Founders' conversation with interest, threw in, "you're Merlin, aren't you? Why aren't you around as ghost anymore in my time?"

Merlin gave him a shocked look. "I am not around anymore?" he asked incredulously. "I have no idea. I'm not a Seer like Rowena. However, a ghost is not supposed to suddenly vanish. Ask me again in a few hundred years please, and make sure that I'll be able to remain in Merlin House forever."

"I'll try," Gaoithe replied, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Gaoithe, would you mind reading the book to me?" Rowena suddenly spoke up. "I'd like to know how much my visions are accurate and my predictions true."

"I don't mind, but if I read from the book from another time, you will probably change into the person from that time," Gaoithe replied thoughtfully.

"I understand. However, if the books here are charmed to act in that way, you could find another copy and bring it here to read from it, couldn't you?" Rowena asked gently.

"That's true. I could bring my own copy," Gaoithe agreed, before he couldn't keep himself awake anymore and slowly drifted off to sleep, unaware of the fact that Salazar gently scooped him up and he and Helga made him lie down comfortably on the stage. Helga waved her wand over him and cast a cushioning spell as well as a spell to soothe his headache and made him sleep comfortably. The four Founders and the ghost remained with him and talked about what he had told them and about their planning concerning Merlin House.

"I wonder if we can leave this room," Salazar spoke up. "I'd love to see a future potions lab."

"Maybe Gaoithe can take you, but not now," Helga replied firmly. "He is not completely well. He has a terrible headache and he seems to have depleted his magic, perhaps when he tried to read us out of the book."

Rowena remained absentminded for an instant, before she said, "The evil one just noticed that the unicorns have been taken to safety, and he was very angry, which is what caused his headache. The poor child."

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, his dorm mates noticed in surprise that Gaoithe was missing. However, they decided to keep quiet in order to not get him into trouble. Only when he didn't make an appearance at breakfast, the Merlin students informed their Head of House, who asked Severus if he knew about his son's whereabouts.

"I have no idea, but if you see him, please tell him that he is grounded to our quarters because of missing breakfast," Severus replied sternly, hardly able to completely wipe the concern from his face.

"I'll look for him. He'll be fine, Severus," Poppy replied in a soothing voice, knowing that Severus loved his son dearly and always worried about him. While everyone headed to class, she stepped through the connecting door into Merlin House.

Seeing that Yuki was sitting on the back of a sofa in the common room, talking with Marlin, Poppy softly asked the phoenix if she could take her to Gaoithe. She looked around in surprise when the phoenix flashed her to the party room turned dormitory, where she saw Gaoithe fast asleep and surrounded by the Founders. '_Is it possible that the Founders are able to see him?_' she wondered, when Godric suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, a phoenix. Hello beautiful."

Yuki let out a few trills, and Poppy hesitantly addressed the Founders. "Excuse me, can you hear me?"

Godric looked up. "Of course we can hear you. With whom do we have the pleasure?"

"I am Poppy Pomfrey, the Healing professor and Mediwitch," Poppy replied softly. "I am also the Head of Merlin House."

"Oh, my successor, even if not as Head of Merlin," Helga said pleasantly and shook Poppy's hand. "I am Helga Hufflepuff."

"I'm very pleased to meet you. The tortoise that is guarding the connecting door between my office and the Merlin common room as well as your portrait in my office and my bedroom told me a lot about you. I'm surprised that you can hear and see me. The other day, we could only watch you."

"That was probably Gaoithe's doing," Helga replied, pointed to the boy, who was still fast asleep. "He somehow depleted his magic."

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Poppy waved her wand over Gaoithe and said, "I'll take him with me and put him to bed. He probably needs a few more hours of sleep."

"I'll carry him for you," Salazar offered and once more scooped Gaoithe up into his arms.

'_I wonder if he'll be able to follow me out of this room_,' Poppy mused, looking at the boy in concern. However, Salazar managed to accompany her through the griffin door and Severus' living room into Gaoithe's room and gently placed the boy on his bed. "We'll just leave him here," Poppy decided and gently tucked him in, before she left the room together with Salazar, explaining that they found themselves in the quarters of the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin.

"Thank you, Madame, for this nice excursion," Salazar said gratefully. "I'll better head back to my group, before we accidentally become separated. Since we left Merlin House I'm feeling nauseated. Maybe we're not supposed to walk away from the spot, where Gaoithe read us out of the book. Please tell him that we're waiting for him to come back and read to us like he promised Rowena."

"I'll inform him," Poppy replied, smiling, and showed Salazar the way back to the room with the charmed bookshelf.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe woke up, he was astonished to find himself in his own room, especially as a glance at his wrist watch showed him that it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. '_Oh no; I completely missed all my classes today_,' he thought, terrified. '_The last afternoon class is going to begin in a minute. I have to hurry_.' He scrambled out of his bed and was just about to transform into his phoenix form in order to flash to the Charms classroom, when he realised that he was wearing pyjamas under his robes. He let out a groan and let himself sink back onto his bed.

Just at this moment the cat professor entered his room. "Hello Gaoithe," she said gently, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Gaoithe replied in surprise. "I'm sorry. I have no idea how I could sleep through the whole day and why I'm here in my room."

Minerva took a seat on the edge of the boy's bed. "Gaoithe, as far as I heard from your Head of House, she found you in the charmed book corner. Apparently, Professor Hufflepuff cast a few spells on you, because you had a bad headache and had depleted your magic."

"Oh." Gaoithe glanced at his wrist watch. "Professor…"

The Gryffindor Head sighed. "Gaoithe, when we're at home, you don't have to call me professor. Just call me Minerva. Do you have any idea what caused you to deplete your magic, and can you explain what you were doing there during the night?"

Gaoithe slowly averted his eyes to the ground as he began to explain what happened.

"You must have cast a very strong charm, because even Professor Pomfrey was able to communicate with the Founders. I can't wait to accompany you. I'd love to speak with the Founders," Minerva said in a soft voice, smiling at Gaoithe. "Professor Ravenclaw seems to be a real Seer. She knew that Hagrid took the unicorns to a safe place yesterday. It is very unsettling though that you could feel Voldemort's anger and got a headache from his emotions. By the way, you're exempt from your classes today as well as from your detention tonight, and you're not allowed to do any magic at least for a week. Instead, you're grounded for the whole week and will stay here in our quarters."

Gaoithe looked at the professor in shock. "Oh please, no, let me attend the detention tonight. Otherwise, Ron will be even angrier, especially since the detention is with Dad. Please. I promise I won't use magic."

Minerva threw Gaoithe a sharp look. "We'll see how you feel after dinner. Your father and I decided to have dinner at home for a week." She let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, you might see it as punishment, and of course being grounded is a punishment; however, it's not only that. We want to have you nearby and make sure that you're all right, especially as long as you aren't allowed to do magic except for emergencies. We love you, and we want you to be safe and sound. We're also afraid that you don't sufficiently take care of yourself. That's why your father decided to ground you. And I completely agree with his decision. It also gives you and me the opportunity to get to know each other better. Like I told you before, I already knew you well when you were a baby; however, I understand that you hardly know me and have to get used to living together with me," she said softly, lightly pushing an errand strand of hair from his face.

"That's all right. I like it, and I'm very happy for you and Dad," Gaoithe replied in an equally soft voice. "Err… May I go to my dormitory and fetch some clothes?" He couldn't prevent himself from blushing as he asked. '_They love me? Does she really mean that?_' he wondered.

Minerva decided to accompany Gaoithe and helped him to gather everything that he would need during the week.

"May I bring Yuki?" he asked hesitantly, causing Minerva to nod.

"Of course," she said, smiling. "You're going to spend a week at home and not in prison."

風の力を持つハリー

Severus only grudgingly agreed when Gaoithe insisted to attend the detention. "I understand your point, Gaoithe; nevertheless, I don't like it. Poppy excused you from your detention for a reason. You're supposed to rest and not to scrub dirty cauldrons."

"Dirty cauldrons?" Gaoithe chuckled. "We're six people and only have to clean dirty cauldrons?" he asked incredulously. "How many of them did you gather?"

An evil grin appeared on Severus' face. "Oh well, I had to teach five classes today with about twenty students each. How many cauldrons do you think there might be? My students were extremely grateful when I told them that they didn't have to clean their cauldrons today."

"I bet you made them brew especially nasty potions to complete the plot," Minerva threw in dryly, and Gaoithe let out a groan as the smirk on his father's face intensified.

"I'm glad there aren't any Gryffindors apart from Mr. Weasley," Minerva chuckled. "I hope you won't take too many House points off my House."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "May I remind you that it was you who assigned the detention and chose to sacrifice my Friday evening?" he asked innocently.

"Oh well, that was because Gaoithe was involved. Otherwise I'd have assigned them detention with Mr. Filch," Minerva replied, causing Gaoithe to feel very grateful towards his father for his protectiveness.

"Gaoithe, shall I make you write lines instead?" Severus offered, causing the boy to look up in shock.

"No Dad, I really don't want to give Ron a reason to ridicule me. I'll be fine."

"If not you will return here immediately," Severus instructed him sternly.

"When I was your age, I once depleted my magic, and I remember that I felt so weak that I was glad that I didn't have to attend classes for a few days as unnerving as it was to stay in the common room all day," Minerva explained.

'_It's as if we were a real family_,' Gaoithe thought happily. '_Maybe it's not so bad to be grounded_.'

"Very well then, shall we go?" Severus asked.

Gaoithe nodded and quickly averted his eyes to the floor when Minerva and Severus kissed each other. '_I'll have to get used to that,_' he thought as he tried to remember if the Dursleys had ever shown that much of affection for each other. Finally, the two Snapes headed through the connecting door into the Potions classroom.

風の力を持つハリー

Severus and Gaoithe just entered the Potions classroom through the professor's office, when the four other Merlin students came in from the dungeon corridor. "Everyone is on time," Severus said, glancing at his wrist watch, "except for Ronald Weasley. I suggest that you begin with the cauldrons over there. You should be able to finish everything in time for curfew; if not you may continue tomorrow." He held out his hand. "Hand your wands over please." Instants later, he held four wands in his hand.

"I left mine at home," Gaoithe said in a barely audible voice.

"Of course; that's all right, Gaoithe. Remember what I told you earlier," Severus replied sternly. "Messrs. Weasley, may I ask you to come to my office for a moment."

While the twins exchanged a confused look and followed the Slytherin Head into his office, Gaoithe, Hermione and Draco eyed the dirty cauldrons.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" Hermione asked in concern. "Professor Pomfrey said you were sick and would be staying at home for a week."

"Pomfrey exempted me from the detention and from classes, because I depleted my magic. But I'm fine and I wanted to join you. Can you imagine what Ron would say if I was allowed to skip this?"

"Oh, he'd speak about the matter for ages I assume. Where is he, by the way?" Draco queried.

"Probably late as usual. Apparently, he has problems finding the way to the dungeons," Hermione spoke up, rolling her eyes, just when the twins re-entered the classroom.

"Who has problems? Oh, are you talking about the most brilliant brother of ours?" they guessed simultaneously, just when Ron entered the classroom.

"Ten minutes late," the professor bellowed. "Ten points from Gryffindor for your tardiness."

"I wanted to speak with McGonagall before coming here, but I couldn't find her," Ron replied.

"Mr. Weasley, another ten points from Gryffindor for your insolence. I know for a fact that Professor McGonagall has been in her office the whole evening. Now give me your wand and help your classmates to clean these cauldrons."

"What do you mean hand over my wand? How am I supposed to clean these cauldrons without my wand?" Ron asked in an upset voice, causing the professor to shake his head in disbelief.

"With seven children your mother will certainly occasionally require your help," he said in a dangerously quiet voice, raising an eyebrow.

"No, my mother always cleans everything with cleaning spells," Ron talked back. "If you did that with magic, it would be the matter of minutes. Why do we have to scrub the dirty cauldrons of others?"

"It's all right, Ronniekins…"

"We'll show you," the twins offered, and Ron hesitantly placed his wand on the table.

'_Pity that Ron has to serve detention with us_,' Gaoithe thought, while he feverishly scrubbed an extremely dirty cauldron. '_This would be a great timing to tell them about the Founders, Ghost Merlin and how I was able to communicate with them. I wonder if the ghost still exists somewhere in the castle_.' Gaoithe was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that he missed the worried looks he received from the twins. However, his friends noticed and eyed him in concern.

"Gaoithe, are you feeling all right?" Hermione finally asked, causing him to look up in surprise.

"Of course. I'm just a bit tired is all," he lied. In fact, he felt exhausted and his head was pounding badly, but this time it was not his scar.

"Gaoithe, your father asked us…"

"… to take you to him…"

"… if we thought that you weren't all right," the twins informed him in their usual singsong, ending together, "and therefore we want you to come with us to his office now."

Gaoithe heard Ron mumble something about people who had their Daddy at the school. "No," he replied firmly and mind thought to the twins, 'I don't feel too well, but I don't want your brother to ridicule me because of it.' As soon as he had finished thinking the sentence, he noticed that his headache worsened tenfold. '_Oh no; that was magic_,' he realised. '_It's strange; some things seem so normal that I don't even realise that I'm doing magic_.' Somehow feeling too bad to protest anymore, he wearily followed the twins into his father's office.

"Ron won't even think about talking about this," Fred reassured Gaoithe with a mischievous grin on his face, while George exchanged a few words with Severus.

Severus pulled Gaoithe into his arm and slowly led him through the connecting door into the living room. "Minerva," he called out to the cat professor, who was sitting at the table, grading essays.

"Yes," she replied and came over, carefully laying her arm around Gaoithe's back as Severus released him from his embrace.

Gaoithe gratefully leaned into the touch, relieved that Minerva led him straight to the sofa, where she made him lie down and gently placed his head on her lap.

"You probably need a headache potion, hmm?" she asked quietly, carefully feeling his forehead with her hand that felt soft and cool to the touch.

"Yes please," Gaoithe mumbled. Even if he felt miserable due to the splitting headache, he somehow enjoyed being cared for by Minerva. He didn't even notice Cicero bringing the potion for him, but he obediently swallowed when Minerva slightly raised his head and pressed a phial against his lips. "Ah, that's much better. Thank you," he sighed gratefully and tried to bring himself into a sitting position. However, he felt himself being pushed back.

"Stay put and rest for a while," Minerva instructed him and reached for the book that Gaoithe had left on his perch when he visited the last time. She began to read to him in a small voice, noticing that it didn't take long before he drifted off to sleep.

Severus smiled at the sight when he returned from his detention and told Minerva that he had taught the Weasley twins how to make a Howler when he asked them to keep an eye on Gaoithe and the twins had threatened Ron to send him one if he ever said anything against Gaoithe again. "The three Weasley boys will serve another detention tomorrow evening. They didn't finish all their work tonight, and the twins asked me to release Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, so that they could have detention with their brother alone. I have no idea what they're planning, but I can imagine that it's going to be interesting."

"Well, as long as you're with them, I assume that no one is going to die," Minerva replied dryly, causing Severus to raise an eyebrow.

"Rest assured that I will supervise that detention," he said, smirking.

"I hope Gaoithe knows how lucky he is to have so many good friends," Minerva said, smiling, as Severus carefully gathered the boy into his arms and carried him into his bed, where he magically changed the boy's clothes into pyjamas and gently tucked him in.

"I believe that he knows better than anyone else how lucky he is; however, he still has the scars from his upbringing with the Dursleys, and I think that he is in dire need of a mother," Severus replied, smirking, before he gently pulled Minerva with him into his own bedroom.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe stumbled out of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes, with one sock missing and his robes inside out, he was met with laughter.

"Good morning, Gaoithe," Severus said, chuckling. "Did you have an appointment?"

Gaoithe looked from him to the cat professor in confusion. Both were sitting on opposite sides of the table and seemed to be grading homework. "Class?" he queried, rubbing his eyes again before he glanced at his wrist watch.

"Goaithe, it's Saturday," Minerva informed him in a soft voice, "and you're exempt from class for the whole week anyway. Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

"Oh no," Gaoithe groaned as realisation set in. "I'm sorry, I was so sleepy that I completely forgot."

"That must have been the effects of the potion. It was supposed to make you sleepy," Severus explained, following his son's look to the perch, where Fawkes and Yuki were sitting next to each other, and Fawkes was quietly cleaning Yuki's back feathers. Hearing Gaoithe mumble something like "Hell freezing over," he suggested, "Why don't you take your robes off, look for your second sock, and then we'll have some breakfast."

Gaoithe threw him a grateful look and returned to his room. '_Fawkes and Yuki peacefully getting along?_' he wondered. '_What is Fawkes doing here anyway? He probably already heard that I'm not allowed to transform_.'

By the time the small family finished their breakfast, Fawkes was gone, and Gaoithe pleadingly looked at the adults. "Please, can we ask Yuki to flash us to the room with the bookshelf? I want to see if the Founders and Merlin are still there. I promise that I won't do any magic." '_At least I'll try_,' he thought to himself, smiling when Severus and Minerva grudgingly agreed.

When Minerva, Severus and Gaoithe arrived in front of the charmed bookshelf, the Founders were gone, and the book '_Hogwarts: A History_' was lying closed on the seat where Gaoithe had read it.

"What did you expect?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at his son. "They couldn't be waiting for you to come back here without having anything to eat or drink, and they probably wanted to get back to their own time."

"Oh well, yes, but I didn't think they could close the book on their own, but of course they could," Gaoithe mumbled, more to himself than to the others.

"All right then, shall I call them out and make them interact?" Severus offered. "We need to decide on a time though. I suppose that we need the Founders when they're older and have more experience, so that they can help us answer a few questions."

"Do we also need Merlin?" Minerva threw in, looking questioningly at Gaoithe.

Gaoithe cleared his throat. "Yes. In fact, I have two main questions. The first one would be if they know a spell that we can use for Professor Quirrell to get rid of his guest, and the second one is where and when ghost Merlin vanished and if there is a way to get him back. Each House has its own ghost, and we we'd like to have ours too."

The adults chuckled but nodded in understanding, and the small family busied itself skimming the '_Hogwarts: A History_' book until they found an adequate passage. This time, Minerva read the Founders and ghost Merlin out of the book, before Severus made them interact with the three of them using wish magic. '_They still wear strange clothes, although they seem different from the earlier time_,' Gaoithe mused. He inwardly sighed in relief upon realising that he didn't have to do anything by himself and could just rely on the adults. '_It's so cool to have parents_,' he mused, absently listening as Severus and Salazar Slytherin greeted each other with excitement, before Severus finally asked the question that was bothering them most.

The Founders remained pensive for a short while, before Godric finally spoke up. "Yes, there is a spell, which you can use in this case. However, it is very powerful and has to be performed by a full grown wizard with very strong magic."

"If the Head of Slytherin casts the spell, it should be strong enough," Minerva interrupted the Founder in a firm voice.

Godric agreed, before he explained that first of all the possessing spirit had to be called to the front in order to get rid of the spirit instead of killing the possessed person. "Unfortunately, this spell has to be performed by a person who is a relative or is otherwise magically connected to the spirit," Godric added, glancing from Severus to Minerva and Gaoithe.

"Gaoithe is magically connected to him through his scar," Severus said hesitantly. "Professor Gryffindor, are you sure that it won't harm Gaoithe if he casts the spell?"

"It won't harm him, but the spell is very difficult to cast and it affords a lot of magic as well," the Founder replied, before he taught Severus both spells, so that he could practise his own and teach the other to Gaoithe when he would be allowed to do magic again.

Everyone else had quietly followed the conversation so far, but now Merlin addressed Gaoithe. "Maybe you should search my library for information about what happened to me, although I doubt that you won't find anything, because I'm fairly sure that I'm not going to leave Hogwarts by my own free will."

"Your library?" Minerva and Gaoithe blurted out simultaneously.

The ghost let out a long sigh. "I'm not exactly sure how you can get into my ancestral home," he said thoughtfully. "However, I know that my great grandson made a connecting corridor that begins somewhere in the cellar and leads straight into my library."

"Merlin's great grandson helped us when we set up Merlin House a few decades ago. However, he left Hogwarts soon afterwards, after a fight with our best ghost here," Helga Hufflepuff explained, smiling at Merlin, who threw her a mischievous grin.

"I'll try to find something out," Merlin promised. "However, my abilities as a ghost are very limited. Nevertheless, you can ask me again at a later time."

"I'll do that," Gaoithe said eagerly, looking gratefully at the ghost.

"Do you think we'll be able to find Merlin's library?" he asked Minerva and Severus, when they were back home later on. "That should be terrific."

Minerva and Severus exchanged an exasperated glance, before they smiled at the excited boy. "Indeed," Severus said dryly. "However, I suggest that we should concentrate on practising the spells to get rid of the Dark Lord's spirit."

風の力を持つハリー

Knowing that they had to occupy Gaoithe during the day while they had to teach their classes, Minerva and Severus accompanied him to the library and helped him to find a small pile of books about Merlin and Merlin House on Sunday morning.

"Well, that should keep him busy enough to prevent him from becoming bored and accidently do magic," Severus sighed, glancing at the books on Gaoithe's perch, when he was sitting on the sofa together with Minerva late on Sunday evening.

Minerva gently laid her arm around his back. "You're doing great as a father, Severus," she said, smiling. "I know that his aunt taught him he wasn't worth anything, which is why he still forgets to take care of himself, but you managed to lead him in the right direction. You can be very proud of your son."

"I believe that he is already on the way to become yours as well, at least Gaoithe seems to think so," Severus whispered, before he leaned over and carefully captured her mouth with his lips, smiling inwardly as he felt Minerva reply to the kiss.


	20. Chapter 20

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

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* * *

**Chapter 20**

Gaoithe spent the whole week reading through all the books, which he had borrowed from the library; however, he didn't find any information concerning ghost Merlin or the Merlin library. '_I need to speak with Hermione and Marlin. Hermione can help me search for information, and maybe Marlin knows more about the matter_,' he thought in disappointment but knew better than to go and talk with the phoenix or mind think to Hermione in spite of being grounded and not being allowed to do magic. Minerva and Severus spent as much time as possible at home in order to help Gaoithe to get used to their family life, which was a completely new experience for the boy, who seemingly enjoyed the time. On Friday afternoon, Poppy finally deemed him well enough to do magic again, although she instructed him firmly to take it easy and to not transform for another week.

"Dad, can you help me practise the spell that I have to cast on Quirrell?" Gaoithe asked pleadingly as soon as Severus returned from his last afternoon class.

Severus agreed. "I'll teach you after dinner. I just want to speak with Professor Gryffindor once more and ask him for help, because I intend to make a dummy for you to practise with."

"Shall I flash you?" Gaoithe asked, knowing that his father wouldn't want to walk through the Merlin common room.

"No," Minerva threw in, shaking her head in exasperation. "Did you already forget what Professor Pomfrey told you just an hour ago? Yuki can flash your father."

Giving Minerva an appreciative nod, Severus stepped over to Yuki, who was lazily cleaning her feathers but immediately turned around for the Potions Master to grab her back feathers. When Severus and Yuki returned an hour later, the professor pulled something out of his robe pocket and enlarged it to a life size dummy.

"It's similar to the one that we use in our Healing class," Gaoithe said, frowning. "Dad, the dummy can't harm me, right?"

"Of course not," Severus replied and began to teach his son the spell. "The dummy is spelled to change its head's colour when the spirit takes over; however, I believe that with Professor Quirrell you will probably get a headache when the Dark Lord's spirit takes over."

"All right," Gaoithe said and eagerly began to practise. However, by the end of the weekend he still hadn't managed to call the spirit to the front and make the dummy's head change its colour.

"Dad?" he asked in a low voice. "What am I doing wrong?"

Severus looked at his son, who was sitting in front of the dummy on the floor of the living room with an expression of utmost frustration on his face. He thoughtfully pushed his hair out of his face. "I don't think that you're doing anything wrong, Gaoithe," he said finally. "Maybe your magic isn't strong enough yet. I'll go and speak with the Headmaster. Perhaps he has an idea."

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe replied gratefully, feeling very reassured. "Um… May I ask something else?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Severus said in surprise as he lowered himself to the floor to sit next to his son. "What's wrong?"

"Um… Nothing is wrong, but… Do you think you can ground me for another week?" Gaoithe blurted out. "I need to practise as much as possible, and…" In a much lower voice, he added, "I like having a real family, and I'd love to spend some more time at home, if you and Minerva don't mind."

Severus gently pulled Gaoithe into his arm. "Gaoithe, I don't have to ground you in order for you to remain at home. You may of course stay here whenever you wish, and I am sure that Minerva likes having you here as much as I do."

風の力を持つハリー

After dinner, Gaoithe headed into the Merlin common room to tell his friends that he was going to stay in his father's quarters for another week, but that he wasn't grounded anymore, so that they could come and visit him at any time.

At the same time, Severus spoke with the Headmaster about the two spells, which they had learned from Godric Gryffindor. Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his beard, before he replied gravely, "I think neither of you should cast these spells. We'll have to think of something else, and I already have an idea."

'_Manipulative old coot_,' Severus thought but slightly inclined his head and listened to the Headmaster's explanation.

"First of all," Dumbledore began, "we don't know what is going to happen in the future. Therefore, we still need you to keep up appearances and remain our spy. The spell doesn't have to be cast by you. Minerva or I are equally able to cast it."

"Very well," Severus grudgingly agreed. "I'd appreciate it if you left Minerva out of this and cast the spell by yourself then," he added thoughtfully.

"Congratulations by the way, my boy. I'm very happy for the two of you," Dumbledore said, chuckling, and his eyes began to twinkle happily. "I will cast the spell then. Concerning the other spell, Gaoithe is only a child of eleven, and his magic has not reached its full power yet. However, Voldemort is related to Salazar Slytherin. Therefore, Salazar should be able to cast the spell if you read him out of the book and made him interact with us like you did with Godric."

"I am not sure if he'll be able to cast a powerful spell," Severus replied thoughtfully. "Poppy told me that he accompanied her into Gaoithe's room; however, he seemed to feel weak when he was not in the same room as the book, and the book only works in the room with the charmed bookshelf."

After a longer discussion, the two professors agreed to speak with Salazar and ask him to try casting the spell together with Gaoithe.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe was glad to be able to attend classes again, especially as he couldn't wait to speak with his best friends about his conversations with the Founders and ghost Merlin. After their afternoon class on Monday, Gaoithe, the twins, Hermione, Draco, Blaise and Neville gathered in the first year boys' dormitory.

"I think it's better for you to cast the spell together with Slytherin," Blaise said thoughtfully. "You're always doing so much, and you really need to get help for once. It's bad enough that we aren't able to do anything for you."

"But we can help with the search for Merlin," Hermione blurted out in excitement. "Gaoithe, I'll go and search the library after dinner. I know that you already did a lot of research, but maybe I'll find something."

"Gred, do you think the same thing as I?" Fred suddenly asked, and the twins exchanged a mischievous look, before they began to grin. "Gaoithe, why don't you just send Fawkes or Yuki to look for the ghost? Can they flash themselves to a ghost?"

Gaoithe thought for a moment, before he said hesitantly, "It should be possible, but I'm not sure." The thought, '_I should just transform and try to flash myself_,' crossed his mind, but he recalled his Head of House's instruction not to transform if it wasn't necessary for a few days more and decided to call Yuki and Fawkes.

The two birds agreed to search for the ghost and flashed away. While Fawkes elegantly vanished with a flash of fire, the younger phoenix covered the small group with a small shower of ice.

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe said, chuckling. "She doesn't have so much experience yet."

"I wonder what they will be able to do, even if they find Merlin," Hermione mused aloud. "A ghost wouldn't be able to grab their back feathers, so that they could flash him here, right?"

"Well, we'll see. It was a good idea to send the phoenixes to search for him in any case," Neville spoke up, giving the twins an appreciative look.

They shouldn't have to wait long, because the two birds chose that instant to arrive back in the room with their usual flash of fire and splash of ice.

Everyone looked at the two phoenixes in expectation. However, Fawkes and Yuki nestled on Gaoithe's perch and gently began to clean each other's feathers, before they finally spoke up at the same time.

#We found him,# Fawkes trilled in a somehow subdued voice, causing Gaoithe to groan.

"And? Where is he? Is something wrong?"

#We have no idea where he is,# Yuki blurted out. #But it was scary.#

"Scary?" Gaoithe queried, raising an eyebrow. "Could you please explain? Or better yet take me to him?" He quickly translated for his friends what the birds told him, and everyone groaned in annoyance.

"Fawkes…"

"… You know that you're our good friend…"

"… Now please tell us…"

"… where the ghost is."

#He must be somewhere in the dungeons, but the room is completely dark, and it's locked. The ghost said that he has been asleep and doesn't know what happened. Someone locked him in and he couldn't get out,# Fawkes explained, and Gaoithe thoughtfully translated his trills.

"Fawkes, can you flash the twins and me to Merlin please?" Gaoithe asked the bird, sensing that Yuki seemed to feel unwell at the thought of flashing into the room again.

"Always the twins," Draco muttered, more to himself than anyone else, but it didn't go unheard by Gaoithe.

"Very well then, you can go in my place, Draco, if you insist on being the one who gets scolded for being late for dinner," Gaoithe said, chuckling.

"I don't care, but I'd love some adventure," Draco replied eagerly.

"Well then, have fun, and we'll meet in the Great Hall," Hermione said firmly, and Gaoithe quickly informed Fawkes, who let out a trill of understanding and flashed away with his three guests.

At dinner, Gaoithe and Hermione quietly informed their House mates about the fact that Merlin seemed to be somewhere in the castle and their efforts to find him. Everyone became equally excited and disappointed when Draco and the twins finally joined them and told them that they didn't have a clue as to how to help the ghost.

"Why is that? Can't you open the door with Alohomora?" Hermione asked impatiently.

The three friends shook their heads. "Not even with a blasting spell," Draco said gravely. "We tried everything."

"What is the matter here?" suddenly a strict voice penetrated their ears as their Head of House approached their table. "If you're not sick, I suggest that you eat your dinner. Otherwise I'm afraid that I have to give each of you a very tasty potion afterwards."

"Oh no Professor, we're fine. We just had something urgent to discuss," Oliver hurried to inform the professor.

"I'll tell you later on," Gaoithe whispered, knowing that Poppy often joined Minerva and his father for tea after curfew.

"Well then eat your dinner, everyone," Pomfrey said firmly, before she returned to the Head table.

'Don't use telepathy now, but is everything all right?' Gaoithe received his father's thoughts and nodded his head.

Gaoithe nearly regretted that he had to leave his friends and return home. On the other hand, the thought of spending the evening at home, doing his homework at the table in the living room, where Severus and Minerva used to grade parchments when they were both at home or if Gaoithe was there, was appeasing, too.

"I'll think about something, and I'll ask my father if he has an idea," he told his friends, before he walked home together with Severus.

"Did Merlin tell them when he was locked in? Maybe it was fairly early in the history of Hogwarts, and the spell used to lock him in was an old spell," Severus suggested pensively.

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask Fawkes to take us there together, but I really need to complete my Transfiguration homework first, if possible before Minerva comes home," Gaoithe replied, sighing. '_I wouldn't want her to watch me do my homework for her class_,' he thought, although he didn't mind Severus glancing over his shoulder when he wrote his Potions essays.

"I understand," Severus replied firmly. "Your homework must have the highest priority. We can still make the trip in the weekend."

風の力を持つハリー

It was in the middle of the night that Gaoithe woke up and thought, '_That's it! Maybe it was an Animagus who locked Merlin in and I can open the door by transforming into several animals and saying Alohomora. I'll go and try to help him_.' Too eager to remember any instructions that he had received during the last few days, he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed, thinking of Ghost Merlin.

"Oh, another visitor," a voice called out to Gaoithe as soon as he arrived in a small, dark stone room.

#I'm sorry to disturb you during the night,# Gaoithe trilled, before he hurriedly transformed back into his human form, uncertain if Merlin would be able to understand phoenix talk.

"It doesn't matter, child," Merlin replied gently. "I wouldn't know if it was day or night anyway."

Gaoithe explained about his idea, causing the ghost to remain thoughtful for a moment. "It might be that you're right. There was something…" Several quiet minutes passed, and Gaoithe waited patiently, before Merlin said, "Can you speak Parseltongue? I'm not sure, but I believe that it was Salazar who locked me in here. I tried to remember before, but I couldn't, but it must have been him."

"Yes," Gaoithe replied shortly and changed into a basilisk. Ignoring the gasp coming from the ghost's lips, he verbally attacked the door with hissing sounds. To his surprise, the door opened to a simple "Open".

"Don't transform back yet," Merlin admonished him sharply. "There is a huge basilisk out here, and she is able to kill humans just by the sight. She is Salazar's familiar."

'_Oh well, maybe she'll at least be able to tell us how to get out of here_,' Gaoithe thought, glancing around the huge, naked stone room, when he heard the basilisk's voice.

"Who is intruding my spacsse? Are you friend or foe? Ssspeak to me," it hissed, but the voice sounded gentle to Gaoithe's ears.

"Hello. I am Gaoithe, and I'm a friend," Gaoithe replied quickly. "Can you perhapsss tell us how to get out of here?"

"You only just came to visit me. Why do you already want to get out? I'm glad to have visitorsss. The last one who came wass very evil, although he sspoke my tongue. I am Amaterasu, by the way, Sssalazar Ssslytherin'sss familiar. He hasn't come by for a very long time, too."

"I promise that I'll come back and speak with you, but right now I came to free Ghost Merlin, and I'm very tired, because it's the middle of the night," Gaoithe said pleadingly, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. '_My head hurts again. I shouldn't have transformed_,' he noticed and inwardly sighed in relief when the basilisk gently showed him the way out.

"This one is the easiest way out for a basilisssk. There is another one over there, and when Sssalazar is in his human form, he uses the door behind the living room, but he sssaid it hasss many sstepsss."

Gaoithe thanked her profusely and turned to the exit that Amaterasu had recommended, making sure that Ghost Merlin was floating behind him. '_I'll ask her about the living room when I come back_,' he thought sleepily. He slithered up a long rope, until the way was blocked by another door. "Open," Gaoithe hissed, noticing in relief that the door opened slowly.

"You can change back into your human form now," Merlin said, chuckling as the door closed behind them.

'_Where are we?_' Gaoithe wondered as he automatically obeyed to the ghost's words, noticing that it was icy cold. "We're out on the grounds," he said in surprise, trying to recognise anything in the darkness.

"Yes, we're just behind the lake," Merlin agreed. "The castle is over there."

"Oh right." Now Gaoithe could see dark castle against the dark blue night sky and quickly began to follow the ghost in the direction of the entrance doors, when he noticed Professor Quirrell coming out of the dark forest not far away. "Merlin," he whispered quickly. "The professor over there wants to kill me. Let's hide until he is gone."

Merlin turned around, but unfortunately, his white figure had already attracted the professor's attention, and Gaoithe realised a sharp pain in his scar. "Let's go back to Amaterasu. He won't be able to get in there," he urgently whispered to the ghost."

"No my boy. You transform into your phoenix form and flash into the castle. I'll find my way back into Merlin House on my own. I can float through the normal doors and walls. Only those in Salazar's chamber are locked for ghosts. Thank you so much for rescuing me. You can't believe how much it means to me to be able to go back to my own home," the ghost said gratefully.

Gaoithe didn't even take the time to reply, but transformed and flashed away in panic. He changed back into his human form and stretched out on his bed, when he already drifted off to sleep.

A short time later, Ghost Merlin swept into the common room of Merlin House and happily greeted the animals in the tapestry. All the animals were glad to have Merlin back, and the old tortoise happily turned around to inform her friend Helga.

A few minutes later, the Head of Merlin House bustled into the room, stopping dead in her tracks upon seeing the ghost. "Great Merlin," she muttered to herself.

"Yes, that's me," the ghost said pleasantly, "I am Merlin indeed. And with whom do I have the pleasure?"

"Poppy Pomfrey, the Healer and Head of Merlin House. I'm glad that you decided to return to our House," Poppy replied in surprise.

"It was not my decision," Merlin told her, rolling his eyes, before he revealed the whole story. "So please don't tell anyone who rescued me. It would be nice though if you awarded the boy a few House points."

"House points for acting against my orders?" Poppy asked angrily, before she slowly relented. "Well, I understand that he is the only one who could have saved you, because no one else speaks parseltongue. All right then, one hundred points to Merlin. However, he won't get away with this." She glanced at her watch. It was five o'clock in the morning, and Gaoithe wouldn't get much sleep before he had to get up in time for breakfast. '_Well, it's his own fault if he is tired during the day. I have to teach him a lesson this time_,' she mused.

"Ah, don't be too strict with him," Merlin pleaded, noticing her upset expression. "He is a hero for rescuing me."

Poppy let out a snort of annoyance as she left the room, pondering an idea of how to punish Gaoithe. '_I should speak with Minerva and Severus beforehand_,' she thought, not wanting to hurt the boy.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe woke up by Minerva's voice. "Good morning, Gaoithe. It's time to get up."

"Hmm?" Gaoithe lazily opened his eyes and smiled as he saw Minerva sit on the edge his bed. "Morning," he mumbled, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"Are you feeling all right, Gaoithe?" Minerva enquired softly, giving him a sharp look.

"Of course," he replied, knowing that it was his own fault that he had a headache from his nightly adventures.

The professor let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, I heard from your Head of House that you went to rescue Ghost Merlin during the night."

Gaoithe swallowed and looked at the professor in shock. "I'm sorry, but I woke up and had an idea…" He slowly trailed off and averted his eyes to his hands.

"I understand that," Minerva replied, sighing. "However, you have to follow our instructions. Only yesterday, your father promised to help you during the weekend, and if you couldn't wait so long, you could have asked him to accompany you before breakfast or after the last afternoon class."

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe repeated in a barely audible voice.

"Your father and I will not punish you this time. He was called to the Slytherin common room by the way. Otherwise, he would have wanted to speak with you himself," Minerva explained. "I believe that it is probably enough punishment for you to attend classes with the headache you're probably having and as tired as you are. However, Professor Pomfrey is very angry and intends to teach you a lesson this time."

Gaoithe slowly exhaled the air he didn't even notice that he had been holding it back, before he looked up in shock at Minerva's last sentence. '_Oh no. Dad's punishment couldn't be worse than Pomfrey's_,' he thought, terrified, and asked in a low voice, "Do I have to attend breakfast?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Gaoithe," Minerva replied firmly and gently placed a kiss on his forehead, before she stood up and motioned for him to get ready.

Gaoithe quickly obeyed, before he headed to the Great Hall together with Minerva. When he took a seat at the Merlin table, his housemates were excitedly talking about the ghost. Gaoithe smiled inwardly. '_Thank Merlin the ghost didn't tell them who freed him_,' he thought as he tiredly drank his pumpkin juice, regretting that he hadn't asked Minerva for a headache potion.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" Hermione suddenly asked, noticing that he was only playing with his food.

"Of course," Gaoithe replied too fast for his friends to believe him. However, before anyone could further bother him, a school owl swept down onto the table and held out her foot to him. Horrified, Gaoithe noticed that the letter she was handing him was red.

"A red letter?" Hermione asked curiously, eyeing the thing in Gaoithe's hand with interest.

"That's a Howler," Neville explained. "I saw my granny send one to someone last year."

"You better open that quickly..."

"... The longer you wait, the louder it's going to become," the twins informed him helpfully.

Gaoithe hesitantly unfolded the parchment that suddenly began to speak in the voice of his Head of House.

"GAOITHE SNAPE! HOW DARE YOU DISREGARD MY ORDERS EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GET AN IDEA? YOU WILL WRITE 'I MUST OBEY TO MY PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND NOT FURTHER AGGRAVATE MY CONDITION' 500 TIMES. I EXPECT YOUR SENTENCES TONIGHT." With that the Healer's voice quietened, and the parchment lost its red colour as it turned into a normal parchment with only the sentence that Gaoithe had to write remaining on the top.

"That was very soft," Katie spoke up, "I mean for a Howler."

"That's true," Oliver agreed. "A normal Howler would be much louder and could have been heard all over the Great Hall."

"Didn't everyone hear this one?" Gaoithe asked, totally shocked at what had happened.

"No. Maybe some of the Gryffindorks heard it and the teachers, but that's all," Draco quickly reassured him.

'Dad, did everyone in the Great Hall hear this?' Gaoithe mind thought to his father, horrified at the unwanted attention.

'No Gaoithe. Only your housemates,' Severus reassured him telepathically. 'Professor Pomfrey is not evil, and you have to admit that you deserved it.'

'_I know, but couldn't she have come to my room and tell me?_' Gaoithe thought, knowing that he would never forget the experience of receiving a Howler, even if it was a soft one.

"Gaoithe, it was you, who rescued Merlin, right? Was that the reason for the Howler?" Hermione suddenly blurted out, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Gaoithe nodded. "I'll tell you later on, or you can ask Merlin," he replied, realising with relief that breakfast was already over. '_Thank Merlin_,' he thought, not feeling hungry in the least.

Gaoithe spent his History of Magic class writing his lines, before sleep claimed him. At the end of the class, Hermione woke him up. "Gaoithe, wake up. History of Magic is over."

'_Oh no_,' Gaoithe groaned upon realisation that he had only managed to write the sentence ten times. He pondered skipping lunch in order to write some more but quickly dismissed the thought as he remembered the morning's events. Unfortunately, Gaoithe didn't have any more time to write during the day and was still struggling with his sentences when he sat in the living room together with Minerva and Severus in the evening.

"Gaoithe!" Severus said sharply as he woke Gaoithe up for the third time.

"Oh no, sorry," Gaoithe said sleepily. "Thank you. Do you have an idea what I could do to stay awake?" he asked, panicking. "I still have to write about three hundred sentences."

Minerva glanced at Severus and asked softly, "Shall I ask Poppy if she can give him time till tomorrow?"

"No," Severus replied firmly. "Gaoithe has to write this today." Seeing that the boy was rubbing his forehead, he asked, "Do you need a headache potion?"

Gaoithe gratefully accepted the potion and sighed in relief when Minerva called a house-elf and ordered tea and biscuits, hoping that the tea would help him to feel more alert. However, more than the tea it was the sudden appearance of the Headmaster in the Snape quarters that made him stay awake for several more hours.

"Severus, Minerva, Gaoithe," Professor Dumbledore greeted them as he stepped out of the fireplace, "I am sorry to disturb you in your privacy." He let out a long sigh, before he continued gravely, "You were right, Severus. Hagrid found more slaughtered unicorns. He is getting stronger. We have to act as soon as possible."

"Albus, do you have a plan?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow as he motioned for him to take a seat.

The Headmaster offered Gaoithe a lemon drop, before he replied, "I hoped that Gaoithe would be able to help us. We have to choose a spot, which is near enough to Merlin House, in order for Salazar to be as strong as possible." He looked at the boy, who was eagerly scribbling his lines, while he absentmindedly listened to the conversation.

Gaoithe slowly exhaled the air, before he finally admitted in a quiet voice, "There is a secret door in Merlin House, which I can connect to any room at Hogwarts, for example to your office, Professor."

"Ah, I believe your father told me something like that when you saved the Philosopher's Stone," the Headmaster divulged. "Would it be much trouble for you to make the door lead to my office, my boy?"

"No, that's no problem, sir," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. '_He really is a calculating old coot_,' he thought in annoyance. "Should we wait until curfew though?" He glanced at his wrist watch. It was still very early.

"In fact, I summoned him to my office for nine o'clock for a discussion with Severus about the Defence class for the Merlin students," the Headmaster admitted, smirking at the Potions Master. "I'm sure you will find a topic within that area."

"You really give us much time to prepare, considering that it is half past eight now," Severus said, rolling his eyes. "I'll cast invisibility charms on Gaoithe and me, and we'll be in your office together with Salazar by nine o'clock. Gaoithe, can you make the connecting door?"

"Yes, of course," Gaoithe agreed, glancing at his parchments. "Excuse me, sir, but how do you explain my presence in your office?" he asked the Headmaster.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Just bring your parchments along, my boy. We can tell him that you are in detention. I assume that what you are currently writing is some kind of punishment?" he asked kindly.

"Professor Pomfrey," Gaoithe replied and hurriedly told the Headmaster what had happened during the previous night.

"Severus, Albus, do you think it is wise to make Gaoithe cast such a difficult spell tonight?" Minerva threw in, looking at the child in concern as she gently removed an errand strand of hair out of his face. "The boy is dead on his feet."

"It must be as soon as possible," Dumbledore said gravely. "Severus, can you give him one of your Freshandgo potions?"

The Potions Master glanced from the Headmaster to Gaoithe and finally nodded. "For once I will give it to him, but kindly note that this will be an absolute exception."

Gaoithe listened to the conversation in confusion, especially as Severus summoned a phial from his lab, muttering something like, "Manipulating old fool," into his nonexistent beard.

He eyed the potion in disgust. It was brown and looked absolutely yucky. However, when he swallowed the first sip, he noticed in surprise that he was much more alert, and by the time he had finished the phial, he felt as if he had just scrambled out of his bed in the morning. "Wow, that's cool," he blurted out, finding his father smirk at him.

"Don't get used to it," Severus replied. "This is a special creation, which I invented for myself, and you will not get any more of it until after your NEWTs." He quickly waved his wand at Gaoithe, casting the invisibility charm.

"Thank you, Dad. Am I really invisible now?"

"At least no one in the common room will notice you, and probably Professor Quirrell won't either," Minerva said in a soft voice. "Be careful, Gaoithe, and remember that in case of emergencies you may of course transform and flash away."

"All right. Thank you, Minerva," Gaoithe said gratefully and stepped through the connecting door into Merlin House, where he waited until the door closed after him, before he quietly touched the wall and thought that he wanted it to lead to the Headmaster's office.

'_Dad is absolutely brilliant_,' he thought as he hesitantly entered the Headmaster's office, very excited and a bit afraid of what was going to happen shortly.

風の力を持つハリー

#Gaoithe! Finally, you come and visit me!# Fawkes exclaimed, happily flapping his wings. #Can you transform and visit for a while, or are you busy?#

"I'm sorry, Fawkes, but the Headmaster needs me to do something, and I also have to write sentences for Professor Pomfrey. Perhaps you could visit me tomorrow?" Gaoithe said, regretting very much that his visit in the beautiful round office had other reasons than that of just visiting Fawkes.

#Um...# Fawkes let out a few indistinctive trills, before he admitted in a low voice, #I'd prefer to talk to you here, because I wouldn't want Yuki to listen in to our conversation. I'd love to ask you a few things about her and to hear your advice.#

Gaoithe looked at his friend in surprise; however, before he could reply, his father entered the room together with Professors Dumbledore and Slytherin. Dumbledore motioned for Gaoithe and Salazar to sit at a small side table, while he offered a seat in front of his desk to Severus.

"Salazar and Gaoithe, are you prepared?"

"I feel that my powers are a bit low now at this distance to the book, but I'm sure that we'll manage to cast the spell together," Salazar confirmed, giving Gaoithe an encouraging look.

"I know what I have to do," Gaoithe replied firmly in spite of feeling very unsure about the matter. "Oh, he is coming," he added quickly, noticing Professor Quirrell's presence a few instants before they could hear a knock at the door. He eyed the possessed man with a mixture of disgust and fear, although he knew that the man couldn't see him. '_Maybe the Dark Lord can sense me, considering that I always know if he's nearby_,' he thought frightened.

"Gaoithe, are you ready? Let's do it now." Salazar's whispered words pulled him out of his thoughts, and Gaoithe nodded to the Founder, before he concentrated on the wandless spell.

About half way through the spell, the professor's turban suddenly fell off, and Gaoithe could see a strange face hanging out from the back of the professor's head. He had to try hard not to interrupt his casting, especially as the pain in his head became nearly unbearable.

"Kill the boy before he kills me, you dunderhead!" a high pitching voice screamed, and Professor Quirrell slowly turned around to where Salazar and Gaoithe were sitting.

Before the obsessed professor could even draw his wand, the Headmaster made a quick movement with his hand that caused a black cloud to emerge from the back of Quirrell's head. Dumbledore immediately cast a second spell that captured the black cloud in a small cage-like ball, which reminded Gaoithe immensely of the Remembrall his friend Neville possessed.

'_That's Voldemort?_' Gaoithe mused as he glanced at the black cloud that was trapped in the ball. A third spell from Dumbledore made the cloud explode into small pieces of dust, which faded into non-existence. Professor Quirrell collapsed to the floor at the same time as Gaoithe felt the sharp pain in his scar recede.

"Very well; he seems to be gone for good," Dumbledore said contentedly, glancing at Quirrell, who was lying on the floor, unconscious. "I believe we need Poppy here."

'_Oh no; my sentences_,' Gaoithe remembered upon hearing his Head of House's name. "Excuse me, Professor, may I be excused? I need to continue writing my lines," he asked hesitantly, not sure if he wanted Pomfrey to know that he had been casting wandless spells.

"No, please stay," the Headmaster replied shortly and leaned into the fireplace.

Instants later, the Healer stepped out of the flames and immediately began to wave her wand over Professor Quirrell. "He will survive. He might need a few weeks to recover, but he should be fine by the beginning of the new school year at the latest. I'll take him with me." She conjured a stretcher and made the unconscious wizard transportable; however, before she could leave the room, Dumbledore held up his hand to stop her.

"Poppy, I believe that you need to waive Gaoithe's punishment," he said pleasantly. "I made him cast a very important spell together with Salazar and kept him for so long that he won't manage to finish his sentences tonight." With that he hurriedly removed the invisibility spell, revealing Salazar and Gaoithe, who were both fast asleep with their heads resting in their arms.

The Merlin Head glared at the Headmaster, before she looked at Severus, who nodded unobtrusively. Sighing, she waved her wand over Gaoithe, casting the _Enervate_ spell. "Mr. Snape, have you finished your sentences?" she asked in a stern voice, causing Gaoithe to jump from the chair.

"No Professor, I'm sorry. I still have some left," he replied as he reached for his quill.

"But you're too tired, aren't you?" the professor asked kindly.

"I was a bit tired after casting the spell, but it's all right now," Gaoithe said, feeling very uncomfortable that his Head of House had caught him sleeping in the Headmaster's office. In fact, he wasn't tired anymore due to the freshandgo potion, but his head hurt from doing so much magic although his concussion wasn't completely healed yet. '_I can't tell her that. She'll only assign more sentences, because it's my own fault_,' he thought and began to write, unaware of the fact that Poppy once more waved her wand over him.

"Mr. Snape, I suggest that you listen to us the next time, considering that you never know what others might have planned for you to do, before you're recovered from your stunts," she said sharply, before she turned to the Potions Master. "Severus, please take your son with you, give him a headache potion and put him to bed. He may finish his sentences tomorrow."

Gaoithe quietly thanked the professor and followed his father home through the Merlin common room, where he once more changed the secret door to lead into his father's living room. "Dad, do you think he's really gone this time?" he asked hesitantly.

Severus looked at him thoughtfully. "Go to bed, Gaoithe. I'll fetch you a potion," he said finally and headed to his private lab, where he quickly rolled up his left sleeve, noticing that the Dark Mark was still there. The light grey colour hadn't changed at all. "I don't think that he's really gone yet. We can only wait and see. But at least he is gone from Hogwarts for the time being, so that you don't have to be afraid when you walk through the castle," he told his son when he carefully tucked him in.

"Who is going to teach Defence now?" Gaoithe queried. "I love having Defence with you, but we still need a full time Defence teacher, right?"

"Yes, we need someone. Minerva and I will speak with Professor Dumbledore about the matter. Perhaps we're all going to fill in for Professor Quirrell until the end of the school year. I doubt that he'll be well enough to return to teaching at all though," he added, more to himself than to Gaoithe, who was slowly drifting off to sleep.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe woke up very early, still feeling the refreshing effects of the freshandgo potion. '_I'll try to finish my sentences as soon as possible_,' he decided and immediately set to work. By the time they had to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast, he had only eighty sentences left, which he managed to write during a free period. In the evening, he felt very relieved that he had handed his parchments to his Head of House, who had smiled at him and instructed him to think before acting the next time. Back home, he hesitantly asked his father, "Dad, may I transform into my phoenix form and flash to visit Fawkes? He wanted to speak with me about something." Seeing Severus frown, he added telepathically, 'He doesn't want Yuki to listen in.'

Severus' frown turned into a smirk as he stepped over to the perch and asked Yuki if she could take him to the room with the bookshelf, so that he could speak with Professor Slytherin. Gaoithe looked in disbelief at the empty spot, wiping small bits of ice from his face. '_Dad really did that for me now_,' he thought, before Minerva pulled him out of his reverie, suggesting that he should call Fawkes.

The phoenix appeared with a small flash of flames, curiously glancing around. "Yuki is not here. She flashed my father to Merlin House," Gaoithe explained, noticing in surprise that Fawkes hesitantly began to clean his wings, before he finally began to trill in a small voice.

#Um... What do you think about Yuki? I mean... She is nice, isn't she?#

Gaoithe looked at the phoenix in disbelief. "Of course she is. Why wouldn't she?"

Fawkes fluffed his feathers. #Yeah. You know, I like her. I'd like to become attached to her, but she said she didn't know if she could, because she was your familiar,# he finally blurted out so quickly that Goaithe could hardly understand him. #Would you mind?#

'_Does that mean they want to marry or what?_' Gaoithe mused, chuckling inwardly. '_I didn't think Fawkes could be so romantic, although I saw him cuddle with Yuki before. Ever before he met her, he didn't think of anything but pranks._' "Of course I don't mind," he finally replied, realising that Fawkes was eyeing him expectantly. "Does that mean that Yuki will move to your place?"

#Oh no. The grumpy old coot wouldn't want that. But perhaps I might come and visit her here from time to time?# Fawkes asked hesitantly.

"Of course you may join Yuki, wherever we are," Gaoithe quickly reassured his friend, not a second too early, because Yuki and Severus chose that instant to arrive, covering Minerva and Gaoithe with small bits of ice.

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said to his father, who merely smirked, before he explained that he had learned some very interesting news from the Founder.


	21. Chapter 21

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"Gaoithe, are you able to read Parselscript?" Severus queried in obvious excitement that was very uncharacteristic for Severus.

"I have no idea if I can read parselscript," Gaoithe replied in surprise. "Why?"

"Oh Severus, let the child get some rest," Minerva threw in with clear displeasure.

Severus quietly walked around the table and took a seat in his favourite armchair, before he explained, "When I was talking to Salazar, Merlin appeared and had a small discussion with Salazar, who was the one that locked him in several hundred years ago. At that opportunity, he told him that you rescued him and that you spoke with his basilisk, which gave Salazar the idea to tell me about his secret chambers. Apparently, he owns a huge library as well as a well equipped potions lab in his rooms, and he promised that he would leave all of his works in the library. According to Salazar, there are many books with potions recipes, which he invented, and he was just working on a potion, which he called the wolfscure potion. I don't know if he managed to finish it, but if he did, it would be extremely interesting for us."

"The wolfscure potion?" Minerva threw in with interest. "Is that a cure for lycanthropy?"

"That's what he intended to invent," Severus replied with excitement. "There is only one problem. All of his books and recipes are written in parselscript, because he didn't want anyone of his own time to be able to steal his inventions. That's why I'd like to know if Goaithe is able to read his writing."

"Let's go and try it out," Gaoithe said readily and jumped from his seat.

"No," Minerva threw in firmly. "It's already bed time, and you really need your sleep. The books will still be there tomorrow."

"That's right," Severus agreed immediately, although it was obvious that he couldn't wait to explore the library as well as the potions lab. "We'll go tomorrow when you're finished with your homework."

Gaoithe groaned. 'Can you help me with my Transfiguration homework, Dad?' he asked telepathically. 'I'm too stupid for that.'

Severus smirked. "Gaoithe, I can help you with Potions or Defence, but I've never been good at Transfiguration and Charms. However, I'm sure that Minerva wouldn't mind giving you an extra lesson in Transfiguration if you needed it."

Gaoithe groaned inwardly, especially as he felt himself blushing. "I'm sorry, but I have problems with the spell we learnt yesterday," he said in a low voice, averting his eyes to his perch, where Yuki and Fawkes were quietly cleaning each other's feathers.

"Gaoithe," Minerva spoke up in a soft voice. "Do you want me to help you with the spell tomorrow after the last afternoon class?"

"Yes please," Gaoithe whispered, unaware of the glance that Minerva and Severus exchanged.

'He is still afraid to fail,' Severus thought to Minerva. 'We need to teach him that no one can excel in every subject.'

Minerva unobtrusively nodded, before she motioned for the boy to get ready for bed.

風の力を持つハリー

With Minerva's help, Gaoithe managed to properly cast the spell by dinnertime, and since he had already done his other homework in between his classes, he urged his father to go to Salazar's rooms right after dinner.

"How do we get into Salazar's chamber?" Severus queried when they left the Great Hall together.

"I can flash us. Professor Pomfrey finally allowed me to transform," Gaoithe replied eagerly. "We can flash to Amaterasu, the basilisk."

"To the basilisk?" Severus stopped dead in his tracks. "Gaoithe, people die if they look into the eyes of a basilisk."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Gaoithe replied in shock. "But she was Salazar's familiar. Is he a snake Animagus? But Amaterasu told me that he used a different exit when he was in his human form."

Finally, the two Snapes flashed to Merlin House and spoke with Salazar about the matter. The Founder told them that he used to cast a spell over the whole school and the grounds that made everyone within immune against the basilisk's deadly look. He taught Severus the spell and advised him to cast it from a certain spot behind the lake, from where it was possible to oversee the whole area.

"That's near the entrance to your quarters, isn't it, sir?" Gaoithe queried.

"Exactly," Salazar confirmed and explained how they could get to the library, once they entered his rooms. "If you have any questions, just ask Amaterasu. She knows her way around my chambers well."

Severus and Gaoithe thanked the Founder profusely, before they closed the book and flashed to the lake, where Severus cast the spell on Hogwarts that he had just learned from Salazar. '_I just hope this works_,' Gaoithe mused, before he hesitantly flashed them into the chamber. He hurriedly transformed into his basilisk form, unsure how Amaterasu would react upon seeing two human beings intruding her home. However, the basilisk was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe she went into the forest to hunt," Severus said when Gaoithe transformed into his human form and shrugged. The two Snapes slowly walked through the chamber, looking for a spot in the wall that held a slightly different colour from the rest of the stone wall. Finally, Severus pointed to the wall. "These stones are lighter than the others and they have the form of a door," he said eagerly. "Can you try to open it?"

"Open Salazzar'ss lair," Gaoithe hissed and held his breath in excitement, looking at his father in disbelief when the stones moved and rearranged themselves to a door sized opening in the wall. They hesitantly walked through and ended up in a living room. Like in their own quarters, the room was built around a huge fireplace. One side of the room was furnished with very old but comfortable looking chairs in different shades of green as well as a heavy oak table; the other side was equipped with a desk, a single chair and a bookshelf.

"Is that your friend?" Severus suddenly asked, pointing to the fireplace, where Amaterasu was curled up, hissing at the professor in a low voice.

Gaoithe could only understand "Cold."

He hurriedly transformed into his basilisk form and said, "Hello Amaterassu. I wasss wondering where you were. Are you cold?"

"Yesss. Thisss heater hasss not been working for a long time, and it'sss alwaysss cold," Amaterasu hissed back. "It'sss nice of you to visit me though. Whom did you bring?"

"That'ss my father, Severuss," Gaoithe introduced Severus and explained that they wanted to get a look at the library.

"You musst move the bookshelf to the ssside. Just tell it to move," Amaterasu informed him gently.

Gaoithe thanked her profusely, before he translated for his father and asked Severus if it was possible to light the fire in the fireplace.

"We can try," Severus replied and motioned for the basilisk to come out of the fireplace for a moment, before he waved his wand, causing a fire to lit.

"Thank you sssso much," Amaterasu hissed in delight and slithered back into the fireplace.

Only now Gaoithe realised that the fire only covered half of the huge fireplace, while the other half seemed to have been built for the basilisk to relax. '_That's why it is so huge_,' he mused and hissed at the bookshelf that obediently moved to the side, revealing a huge library that was filled with bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling. Gaoithe and Severus spent the following two hours skimming the bookshelves that were filled with old books, which were partly written in medieval English, partly in Parselscript. '_This seems to be the potions shelf_,' Gaoithe realised, pulling several thin books in Parselscript from the shelf. '_I just hope I'll be able to translate these_,' he thought, handing the small pile of books to his father.

"Ah, I believe that's what we're looking for. Let's take them with us. There are many more of them," Severus said in excitement as he pocketed the books. "Now, where is the potions lab?"

Gaoithe glanced around. There were only bookshelves that were merely interrupted by a few windows, apparently charmed windows, providing a view into the lake. "I'll ask Amaterasu," he offered and hurried back to the living room. The basilisk explained chuckling that they had to move the third shelf on the left of the door into the room, so that they could move the next three shelves on the right side to the left until the last shelf lead to the potions lab.

"He certainly protected his private lab well," Severus smirked as he waved his wand at the shelves. "But it was worth the effort," he added in absolute amazement as they entered the large room that had about the size of the Potions classroom.

The room held an enormous table with six work stations, six sinks on one wall, shelves with empty phials and dozens of cauldrons in different sizes on the opposite wall and huge shelves with ingredients and potions on the farther part of the room.

Severus strode to the ingredients shelf, and Gaoithe noticed that his father seemed very impressed by Salazar's lab. He interestedly followed him to the ingredients shelf and half-way though the room suddenly realised that it was much colder than before. Salazar's rooms were about as cool as the dungeons; however, this part of the potions lab was at least ten degrees cooler. "It's cold here," he voiced, slightly shivering.

"Yes, it's like a fridge," Severus replied absentmindedly as he closely examined a few ingredients. "Gaoithe, these ingredients are worth several millions of Galleons," he finally said. "There are several kinds of herbs and plants, which we don't have here in our time. They are as fresh as they were one thousand years ago because Salazar charmed the room to be so cold."

"Dad, do you think we could try to plant a few of them and grow them? For example in the herb garden on the roof?" Gaoithe suggested, noticing that his father's excitement seemed to be contagious. "You could make much money selling these ingredients or even potions using them."

"We'll try," Severus agreed and carefully chose twenty different herbs. He charmed them to remain fresh for twenty-four hours, before he pocketed them and gave Gaoithe a contented nod. "We'll plant them out tomorrow, and we can come back here at another time. I think it's nearly curfew, and Minerva will have a fit if I don't bring you back in time."

Gaoithe chuckled, and father and son quickly left the Founder's chamber, each of them deep engrossed in his thoughts about potions, recipes, ingredients and what other possibilities the Founder's lair held. "I have an idea," Gaoithe suddenly blurted out, just when they stepped out onto the grounds again.

"And what might that be?" Severus queried as they walked over the grounds towards the entrance door.

"I could make the door from Merlin House lead straight into the potions lab," Gaoithe blurted out, before he became thoughtful and corrected himself. "No, that wouldn't help you, right? You wouldn't want to walk into the common room in order to access Salazar's rooms. I'm sorry; that wasn't a good idea. Um... Dad?" Seeing that Severus looked at him questioningly, he asked hesitantly, "May I care for the herbs? And could I perhaps do it together with Neville? He is very interested in Herbology and he knows a lot about plants. And I feel somehow bad that I didn't have time to tutor him in Potions during the last few weeks."

Severus raised an eyebrow, while he held the entrance door open for Gaoithe to step through. "I believe that you're helping him quite a lot in class. I don't mind the two of you looking after the herbs, if that's what you want. Let's go to Professor Pomfrey and ask her if we may borrow him for an hour now, even if it's already after curfew."

Gaoithe groaned in annoyance. "She'll never allow that," he sighed. "Can't we plant them tomorrow?"

"No Gaoithe, I don't know if they'd survive the night. You don't have to come if you're too tired though," Severus gave back, smirking.

"Of course not," Gaoithe replied and eagerly followed his father upstairs to the hospital wing. To his surprise, his Head of House agreed immediately.

"Of course, Severus," she replied when Severus hurriedly gave her a short version of their evening's adventure, "and Gaoithe, I think that it is a wonderful idea to involve Neville in this. He can well need a bit of encouragement. Severus, I trust that you will send the boys to bed early enough."

"Of course," Severus promised and motioned for Gaoithe to fetch Neville, who was very excited at the unexpected invitation.

A short while later, the three wizards climbed up the narrow staircase that led to the herb garden on the roof. Severus had brought an old tome, in which he showed the boys the ingredients that he had taken with him from the chamber. "There are more ingredients, but I only brought those, of which I am sure how to use them and how to grow them. Maybe if Gaoithe manages to translate some of the potions recipes, we'll need some of the others as well," he said thoughtfully and showed the boys how and where to plant the herbs, before he explained in detail how they had to care for the respective plants.

"Gaoithe is going to translate recipes from Salazar Slytherin?" Neville asked in surprise, suddenly becoming very excited. "Professor, did the people in the time of the Founders already know the _Cruciatus_ curse?" he asked hesitantly.

Severus remained thoughtful for a moment, before he admitted, "I am not sure. Mr. Longbottom, I suggest that we go and speak with Professor Slytherin tomorrow evening. We can ask him, and in case a potion exists that would be able to help your parents, be assured that I will brew it."

'Neville's parents?' Gaoithe mind thought to his father, who thought back, 'Later.' When they were finished with their task, the three wizards remained in the garden on the roof for a short while to observe the Giant Squid play in the lake that was beautifully lit by the nearly full moon. "Dad, this is gorgeous," Gaoithe said, yawning, causing Severus to smirk.

Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, Minerva and he had spent at least an hour on the roof last night to enjoy the moonlight, while the boy had been peacefully asleep. When they finally turned back to the narrow staircase, Neville and Gaoithe agreed to study Severus' book about the herbs that they had just planted as soon as they were finished with their homework the following day.

"That's a good idea, and on your way back to Merlin House I shall accompany you and we'll see Professor Slytherin," Severus threw in appreciatively.

"Professor," Neville asked in a barely audible voice, "would it perhaps be possible to speak with Professor Slytherin now?"

Severus glanced at his wrist watch. It was quite late. However, a look into the boy's face that held an expression full of hope, he softened and grudgingly agreed. "Gaoithe, please go to bed. I'll be back shortly," he said and quickly informed Minerva as they crossed the living room.

"Good luck," Minerva replied, smiling, and Gaoithe noticed in surprise that she seemed to become slightly excited too; however, he didn't ask and quietly got ready for bed, smiling when Minerva came into his room to wish him good night. Minerva sat on the edge of his bed and enquired, "How was your day, Gaoithe? I assume that it was very exciting."

"Yeah, but I loved it, especially the potions lab in Salazar's rooms. On one side, there are several sinks, and above the sinks are charmed windows... No, the whole width of the room is one large window," he thoughtfully corrected himself, "that shows the lake, and the Giant Squid was playing there; it was great fun. And we saw her again tonight from the roof. The lake looked gorgeous in the moon light."

"It really does," Minerva agreed, smiling as she recalled the previous night. "But I think it's time for you to sleep. Good night, Gaoithe." She placed a kiss on his forehead and carefully tucked him in, before she quietly left the room.

'_She really is like a mother_,' Gaoithe thought happily as he drifted off to sleep, still wondering what Neville and his father wanted from Salazar and if the Founder would be able to help them. '_I hope he can help him. I really like Neville_.' By the time his father came back, he was fast asleep, dreaming of taking a moonlight bath in the lake together with the twins.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe woke up in the morning, the thought of going swimming during the night was still in front of his mind. At breakfast, he quietly told his housemates about his idea, causing everyone to enthusiastically nod their agreement.

"It's really time to do something like that," the twins spoke up. "We've been so boringly good recently."

"And what if they catch us?" Hermione queried. "How do you think we'll be able to get around that tortoise?"

"Well, they're welcome to assign a collective detention," the twins chuckled. "Gaoithe's father has to gather quite an amount of dirty cauldrons to make twenty people serve detention."

"I know how we can get around the tortoise," Gaoithe whispered. "Fawkes, Yuki and I can flash everyone, and Fred and George can fly anyway. Shall I ask Nina to prepare a picnic for us?"

Everyone agreed and headed to their respective classes, eagerly awaiting the evening. After their last afternoon class, Neville kept Gaoithe back. "Gaoithe, can we do our homework together, before we begin studying the plants' book? I'd love to speak with you in private about something."

Only now Gaoithe remembered the previous evening's conversation between Neville and his father. "Of course. Let's go to my room."

"Are you sure that your father and Professor McGonagall won't mind?" Neville asked shyly, causing Gaoithe to smile.

"Of course not. They always tell me that it's my home and that I can invite whom I want," Gaoithe replied, curious to hear what Neville had to tell. After listening to Neville's story he felt very sorry though. "And Salazar said that he had a potion to help your parents?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, probably. Your father said we should go and speak with him again tonight and bring the books, which you borrowed from his library. Salazar promised to try to help you find that specific recipe, so that you can translate it if you don't mind and your father can brew the potion," Neville said with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Oh cool. Shall we go right away?" Gaoithe suggested.

"No, we must finish our homework first," Neville said hesitantly, "and we promised your father to study his book about the herbs."

"Oh well, let's hurry up then," Gaoithe grudgingly agreed, and the two boys worked so hard on their homework that they had everything that was due on the following day done by dinnertime.

'Dad, shouldn't we go and speak with Salazar, before we work on the herbs?' he mind thought to Severus at dinner.

'We can do that. Let's meet at home straight after dinner,' Severus agreed, and Gaoithe informed Neville telepathically, smiling when his friend threw him an excited look.

However, their visit with the Founder was not very efficient. Salazar meticulously skimmed the books that Gaoithe had brought with him, before he shook his head. "No, it's not in one of these. There are at least a dozen other books, and the potion is quite at the end of the book. I'm sorry that I'm not able to accompany into my library. If you fetch the other recipe books, I'll help you search again."

"I'll flash there and get the books," Gaoithe offered and flashed into Salazar's library with Neville in tow, while Severus remained with the Founder. However, as much as Gaoithe and Neville searched, they couldn't find any other books with potions recipes. It was nearly curfew, when they returned to Salazar and Severus in frustration.

"Excuse me, sir, but there aren't any other books with potions recipes," Gaoithe said, his voice laced with disappointment and accusation.

"Well, my library is not a place for children to play," Salazar sneered. "Severus, I'd like to continue our conversation at another time."

"Very well," Severus said and obediently closed the book. "I'm sorry, Mr. Longbottom. We'll see if Professor Slytherin will be in a better mood tomorrow. Let's go to the chamber again after the last afternoon class."

"Slytherin was very rude," Gaoithe said quietly, feeling extremely sorry for Neville, who returned to his dormitory in disappointment. '_I must cast a silencing spell around my room, so that Dad and Minerva won't hear my alarm clock at midnight_,' he remembered when he scrambled into bed a few minutes later.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe quickly turned off his alarm clock and listened if he could hear Severus and Minerva talking in the living room. However, no sound came through the half-open door. '_Maybe they're already in bed, or Dad is brewing in his lab_,' he thought in relief and transformed into his phoenix form. He flashed into his dormitory in Merlin House, where he woke up his roommates, before he called Fawkes and Yuki.

The two phoenixes arrived on the perch next to his bed, giving him curious looks. #What's wrong, Gaoithe?# Fawkes queried, quickly exchanging a happy kiss with Yuki.

#We need you to flash all Merlin students out to the lake for a midnight swim,# Gaoithe explained. #I'll help you of course.#

#Oh Gaoithe, didn't you write enough lines and clean enough cauldrons recently?# Yuki asked in exasperation, while Fawkes let out a few excited trills.

Ten minutes later, the twenty-four students were assembled near the lake, where Nina and Tony, who was her best friend and bonded with Fawkes, had prepared a picnic for the group. The friends thanked the kind elves profusely and took a few bites here and there from the buffet, before they decided to go swimming first.

"That was a great idea, Gaoithe," Oliver commended him. "Let's play Aquaquid!"

Everyone agreed, and they quickly formed three teams, deciding to try playing the game with three teams, so that everyone except for Hermione, Susan and Neville could play, who weren't keen on playing and decided to rather referee the game. Oliver and Marcus, two of the four oldest students in Merlin House, conjured the balls, which they needed for the match, and Susan motioned for everyone to get ready.

Gaoithe and his friends had so much fun with their game that they weren't only completely oblivious of the time, but they also forgot to keep their voices at bay. Even if the moonlight lit the lake, it was difficult to see the Snitch. It was nearly two o'clock in the morning, when Gaoithe, who played Seeker against Cedric and Marcus, finally caught the Snitch, and his friends began to splash and shout in excitement. Unfortunately, this commotion didn't remain unheard.

Minerva and Severus once again spent a while in the herb garden on the roof to enjoy the quiet night and the soft light of the nearly full moon. Sitting on a bench with the back to the lake, they had registered that the Giant Squid seemed to be making a whole ruckus that night. However, all of a sudden, the words, "Gaoithe has caught the Snitch!" travelled through the night, and shouting and laughter began to accompany the wild splashing of water.

The two teachers exchanged a surprised look, before they slowly released each other from their embrace and stood up to get a look at the grounds.

"Oh no, don't tell me the whole Merlin House is assembled outside," Severus groaned in annoyance. "Gaoithe should know better than to play Aquaquid during the night."

"What do you want to do?" Minerva queried. "Shall we head out onto the grounds?"

"No," Severus replied thoughtfully and smirked. "Let's not punish them now. Let them believe that they remained unseen. However, we're going to have a pop quiz day tomorrow. Can you imagine how the Merlins must regret their nightly adventure if they come to class and find out that they have to do tests in all of their classes?"

"You're evil," Minerva replied, chuckling. "Let's do that. We can discuss the matter with our colleagues during breakfast. Shall we go to bed or do you want to wait for Gaoithe to come home?"

The teachers decided to go to bed, nearly two hours before Gaoithe came home and collapsed on his bed in exhaustion after flashing everyone back to their dormitories together with Yuki and Fawkes.

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, all Merlin students appeared at breakfast, although many of them were missing one sock or were wearing their robes inside out. However, knowing from the experience of their last nightly party that they didn't want to attract the attention of their Head of House, everyone somehow managed to eat a little breakfast, and no one said a word to the uncharacteristically silent Merlins.

Gaoithe's first morning class was Transfiguration, and just like his housemates, he looked at Minerva in shock, when she announced that they were going to have a pop quiz. '_Oh no! Couldn't she choose any other morning?_' he thought in annoyance. '_Thank Merlin, it seems to be somehow manageable though_,' he realised in relief. However, when Professor Flitwick made them take a pop quiz in their second morning class, they began to wonder if it was by chance, and when Severus strangely had the same idea for their first afternoon class, the Merlins began to believe that the teachers had somehow found out about their party. However, the worst punishment was yet to come during their last afternoon class.

風の力を持つハリー

In the last afternoon class, the whole Merlin House together had their Healing class. As usual, Professor Pomfrey gathered the whole class around the dummy and made everyone cast a diagnostic spell. This time, however, she instructed everyone to write their diagnostics as well as a possible method of treatment on a parchment. Normally, as soon as they had found out what was ailing the dummy, she divided the students into four or six groups and taught them the necessary Healing spells. On this day, however, she told them that she wanted to know if they remembered what they had learned in her class so far. In fact it was fairly easy to make a diagnosis, because the dummy was continuously throwing up every other minute. Nevertheless, the students busied themselves casting diagnostic spells, while others casted cleaning spells at the dummy and its surroundings. However, to the sleep deprived students, who had stuffed their bellies with all kind of delicacies during the night, the sight and the smell were so disgusting that half of the group was feeling outright sick half-way through the class.

"Excuse me, Professor..."

"... is this disease contagious?" the twins approached Pomfrey.

"I don't think so," the professor replied, smirking, "but that's for you to find out. Why, are you feeling unwell, Messrs. Weasley?"

"Oh no, we're fine," the twins hurried to assure their Head of House.

"Uh, that was disgusting," Gaoithe said to Neville when they walked down to the dungeons, glad that their classes were over for the weekend. '_I wished we could go straight to bed, but we have to speak with Salazar_,' he thought, knowing that the matter was very important for his friend.

風の力を持つハリー

Yuki flashed the three wizards to the dormitory, where they could speak with Salazar, and this time, the Founder admitted that books with dangerous potions or those to cure dangerous curses were charmed to remain invisible to children under the age of sixteen. "I'm afraid that you have to collect the books," he told Severus.

'_Couldn't he have said so right away?_' Gaoithe mused in annoyance as he flashed Severus to Salazar's library. While his father was skimming the shelves for potions books written in parselscript, Gaoithe headed into the living room and transformed into a basilisk to spend the time with Amaterasu. "Did Salazzzar tell you in the passt that we managed to read him out of a book in our time?" he asked curiously, wondering if Salazar was a real human, who could react to what they said to him in the past or if he was more or less an image than those on the portraits that were decorating the walls all over Hogwarts.

"No, it'sss a long time ago, but I don't remember such a thing," Amaterasu replied thoughtfully. "Tell him that I love him and missss him terribly. Maybe he can come and visssit me here."

"Gaoithe, I believe that's all. Shall we flash back?" Severus' voice pulled him out of his conversation, and Gaoithe quickly excused himself and flashed back with Severus, knowing that Neville was waiting for them to return.

It took a while until Salazar had skimmed the books, and by the time he had found the recipe, Gaoithe and Neville were already fast asleep in their chairs. Severus sighed and instructed Yuki to flash Neville into his dormitory, before he asked the Founder if he could just tell him the ingredients, which were needed, so that he could make sure that he had everything necessary in stock. "Gaoithe can translate the recipe in the morning."

"Very well," Salazar agreed and listed up the ingredients, which Severus wrote on the parchment.

"Sheep fern?" he suddenly asked, interrupting his writing. "And moon berry leaves? I have never heard of these two. We probably don't have them in our time."

"Both are quite common plants," Salazar explained. "Maybe you'll find some in my lab; otherwise I can't tell you where you can get them. In our time, the moon berry leaves grow in the forest, and the sheep fern I buy from someone in Hogsmeade."

Severus thanked the Founder profusely and closed the book, before he pocketed his notes and Salazar's books and asked Yuki to flash Gaoithe and him straight into Gaoithe's bedroom. '_Such a flop_,' he thought in disappointment. '_I had hoped to be able to help Alice and Frank. She was Lily's best friend_.' He let out a long sigh, shaking his head in annoyance, knowing fairly certainly that he hadn't seen these ingredients in Salazar's lab.

An instant later, Gaoithe was lying in his bed, and Severus quickly transfigured his clothes into pyjamas and tucked him in, before he headed out into the living room, where Minerva was already impatiently waiting for Severus and Gaoithe to come home. Severus quickly told her what happened, and the Transfiguration professor glared at him.

"You sent both children to bed without dinner?" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but we completely forgot about dinner. I don't think the boys remembered it either. Now I'm going to visit Pomona and Hagrid. Maybe one of them has heard of any of these plants."

Unfortunately, neither of his colleagues could help him, since they had never seen or heard of the plants. Nevertheless, Gaoithe used his free time on Saturday morning to translate the potions recipe. Although he could perfectly understand and also speak Parseltongue, it was a very different matter to translate a recipe.

"Very well done, Gaoithe," Severus commended him, eyeing the recipe with interest. "You should do something about your hand writing though. It's atrocious."

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe apologized, sighing inwardly.

"Gaoithe, I'd love to check Salazar's lab, just in case the missing ingredients are there, although I didn't see them the other day. Will you accompany me?"

Gaoithe agreed; however, Severus had been correct, and they found neither of the two ingredients.

"We could ask Merlin," Gaoithe suggested.

"What would that help?" Severus enquired, quirking an eyebrow. "Remember that he has been locked into that dungeon like room for nearly one thousand years, although we still don't know a reason. And even a ghost is not able to travel back in time."

"Travel back in time," Gaoithe suddenly blurted out. "That's it!" He quickly explained what the tortoise in the Merlin common room had told him about visiting Helga Hufflepuff from time to time. "We could ask her, although she is very strict and a bit strange."

Severus let out a thoughtful "Hmmm. Do you have to be in your tortoise form to speak with her, or would I be able to communicate with her as well? Maybe she will be a little more forthcoming if I speak with her."

"I'm not sure, but as I said she's a bit strange. We can go together, or you can speak with her in Professor Pomfrey's office, where the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff can translate for you. Apparently, she is a tortoise Animagus."

Right after lunch, Severus accompanied Poppy into her office and spoke with the tortoise, accepting the help of the portrait that overlooked the hospital wing.

=Of course I know how I can visit my best friend; however, only a real Merlin will be able to walk the same way,= the tortoise informed him curtly.

'_Arrogant git_,' Severus thought but asked in the softest voice he could muster, "Would you be willing to teach my son or one of his friends the way then?"

=Your son or his friends? The greatest rule breakers Merlin House has ever seen?= the tortoise asked in clear displeasure.

"Severus, why do you need to travel into the past?" Helga asked kindly, having known Severus from when he was eleven years old. Hearing the Potions Master's explanation, she turned to the tortoise, "Alexa, please visit me in the past as fast as you can and receive these two potions ingredients from Salazar. Do you think you can carry them, or do you prefer to take one of the students with you?"

=I'll take Merlin with me; better him than one of those rule-breaking lazybones,= the tortoise replied in a huff. =I'll go, but it's only for you, Helga.=

"Thank you, Alexa. You're a good friend," Helga replied gently. "Severus, I'll contact you through Poppy as soon as they come back with the ingredients."

Severus profusely thanked the Founder and returned home, knowing that Minerva and Gaoithe were waiting for him in order to make a short family trip.

風の力を持つハリー

"Where are we going to go?" Gaoithe asked in surprise when Severus called him out into the living room and held out an inflatable starfish. While Severus was away, Minerva had already told him that they were going to make a weekend trip and had asked him to pack what he wanted to take with him. Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, she had added his swimming trunks and his Snitch and taken out the book with Salazar's recipes from the small bag that he had packed. Not really expecting a reply, he held on to the starfish together with Minerva and Severus, and Severus mumbled the activating password for the Portkey. Gaoithe felt a strange pull behind his navel, before the world turned around and he suddenly found himself on a beach.

"Wow, this is too cool," he blurted out, eyeing the blue sea in awe.

"I'm glad it is to your liking," Severus smirked and explained, "Last night, while you went to bed before dinner like a toddler, Minerva and I became engaged, and when we informed our colleagues at dinnertime, they had nothing better to do than to arrange a spontaneous family weekend for the three of us. Apparently we're in Ibiza Island in Spain."

"You became engaged?" Gaoithe asked in amazement. "Wow, that's really cool. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Gaoithe," Minerva said warmly. "I'm glad that you don't mind."

"Why would I?" Gaoithe asked in surprise. "I'm so happy to have a real family now."

Minerva pulled Gaoithe into a light hug, before she leaned over and kissed Severus, causing Gaoithe to chuckle.

"How about we go into our rooms and change and come back to play Aquaquid?" Severus suggested, pointing to a huge area further up the beach that was separated by a high blue net.

"The choice of this resort must have been Rolanda Hooch's doing," Minerva said, shaking her head. "She has been bothering the five Heads of House for months to allow the students to have an Aquaquid tournament for all Houses, but so far we never agreed because we can't play ourselves and none of the Houses except for Merlin has ever practised."

However, a few hours later, the two professors were as enthusiastic about Aquaquid as Gaoithe and his housemates and decided to once again discuss the topic with the other Heads of House and if possible arrange for an Aquaquid tournament besides Quidditch during the next school year.

Apart from the meals, which they took in the dining room of the hotel, the small family spent the whole day and evening on the beach or in the lukewarm water. In the evening, Gaoithe decided to give Minerva and his father some time alone. He entered the shallow water and transformed into a dolphin, having much fun swimming and splashing in the sea, while the two professors took a long walk along the shore. '_I wonder if they'd mind if I stayed here the whole night_,' Gaoithe mused as he relaxed in the water, far enough from the beach to be out of the way of the people who were swimming and playing but still in sight of the beach. '_They'd be very worried about you_,' a small voice at the back of his head told him, and Gaoithe returned to the beach as soon as it became dark, feeling very happy to have parents who were willing to worry about him.

風の力を持つハリー

They only returned to Hogwarts late on Sunday evening. While Severus and Minerva headed to their respective Houses to check on their students, Gaoithe readied himself for bed and read a bit in one of Salazar's recipe books, while he was waiting for the professors to return.

"Minerva, Dad, thank you so much for taking me with you this weekend. It was absolutely great," he said when they came into his room.

"You're welcome, Gaoithe. Now sleep well," Minerva replied warmly, while Severus gently tucked him in.

However, Gaoithe was not able to sleep quickly. As soon as his parents had left his room, leaving the door slightly ajar, Merlin swept into the room. "Ah, Gaoithe, it's good that you're back. I need you to help me with that old, stubborn tortoise. She's driving me crazy, because she doesn't want to understand me. Can you translate for me?"

Gaoithe sighed. "Yes, but only tomorrow. Not now, because she would give me away to my Head of House, and it's already after curfew."

Merlin agreed and asked Gaoithe to come to the common room before breakfast. '_I wonder if that's about the ingredients the two of them were supposed to fetch from the Founders_,' Gaoithe mused as he drifted off to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

_-----_

* * *

**Chapter 22**

Gaoithe woke up very early and immediately headed to Merlin House. The ghost was hovering near the tapestry with the animals, engrossed in a conversation with Marlin.

"Ah Gaoithe; how good of you to come and see me. I need your help. Alexa and I went to see my younger colleagues to get some potions ingredients; however the grumpy slimy one refused to hand me the ingredients. As you know he was the one who locked me in for several hundred years, and he is still angry at me, because I played him a simple prank..."

He was interrupted when the animals on the tapestry let out a collective snort. #You nearly killed him, you idiot,# Marlin threw in, chuckling.

"If you'd kindly remember that you're my familiar, don't call me idiot," Merlin said to the phoenix, before he turned back to Gaoithe. "Well anyway, I need you to come with me and speak with him. I'm sure that he'll be willing to give the ingredients to you, my boy," Merlin said beseechingly, completely ignoring the other animals.

"I can go with you, but my father told me that the tortoise refused to take anyone but you," Gaoithe replied in confusion.

"She's a bitch and knows nothing," Merlin said, rolling his eyes. "We don't need her though. I know the way and can lead you. It's not far. It's about an hour's walk, and it might take a few hours to convince the snarky git to collect the ingredients and give them to you."

"But why does it have to be me?" Gaoithe queried. "There are more than twenty students in Merlin House."

"Because you speak Parseltongue. Salazar adores people who speak snake language. If you tell him that, I'm sure he'll be willing to help you."

"Ah, all right," Gaoithe said hesitantly.

By now the first students were coming downstairs into the common room, and Merlin and Gaoithe quickly agreed to make the trip during the following weekend.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe was just about to return to his own room to grab his school bag, when the twins swept down on him. "Gaoithe, we have a brilliant idea..."

"...We just need a little help..."

"... Do you have time to assist us with a potion between the last afternoon class and dinner?"

Gaoithe rolled his eyes. '_Why is it always me that has to help everyone?_' he thought in annoyance. "I can help you, but only if you tell me in advance what it is for," he added quickly, noticing that the twins were wearing mischievous looks.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe could hardly concentrate that day, and for the first time he managed to lose House points in a class, when Professor Flitwick asked something and he was completely absentminded and didn't hear the professor's question. '_I'm going to travel one thousand years into the past_,' he mused in excitement. '_Maybe I should take Dad and Minerva with me. Dad would surely be able to talk Salazar into helping us. I wonder what prank Merlin played on him that made him lock him into his chambers_.'

Gaoithe sighed in relief when his last afternoon class was over and headed straight to the Potions classroom to meet the twins. '_I just hope it's a harmless prank_,' he thought as he entered the classroom, where the twins were already busying themselves preparing ingredients. He looked at the recipe they had laid out on the table. '_From the ingredients it looks harmless, but what is it?_' he wondered, giving the twins suspicious looks.

"It won't do much; it'll just change everyone's hair a bit, and it'll only last for a few hours," his friends reassured him. "It's just..."

"... Could you transform into a cat and give us some cat's fur, please?"

Gaoithe shook his head in disbelief. "No problem. Which colour do you want the cat to be?"

"A marmalade cat please," George chuckled, before Fred gently stroked the cat's fur, carefully grasping a bit of fur in his hand.

It took only thirty minutes to brew the potion, and right before dinner the three friends managed to press a large phial into Nina's hand, asking her to add the potion to everyone's meal. Gaoithe hesitantly followed the twins to the Great Hall, knowing that he had to attend dinner, even if he'd have preferred to quietly eat at home far from all kind of possible pranks. It was a few minutes after everyone had begun to eat that their hair suddenly took on the form of a cat in Gryffindor colours. Gaoithe groaned inwardly, while everyone looked around in surprise and finally began to laugh.

Only when the laughter quieted down a bit, Gaoithe could clearly hear Ron Weasley's voice sound through the Hall. "I'm sure that was Snape again. He seems to be allowed to do what he wants. Why doesn't the idiot get detention if he pranks everyone including the Headmaster?"

"That was not only Gaoithe..."

"... It was us as well," the twins informed him quickly, causing Ron to roll his eyes in annoyance at his twin brothers.

"The Headmaster would rather award House points for a good prank, Mr. Weasley, although I believe that in this case it would be Professor Snape's task to praise the pranksters for a brilliantly brewed potion," Professor McGonagall said in an equally loud voice from the Head table.

Severus didn't comment on the matter. Only later that evening when the small family sat in their living room to have tea, he commended Gaoithe on the potion. However, now that the potion was slowly wearing off, Gaoithe didn't want to be reminded of his difficulties with Ronald Weasley and quickly changed the topic by asking the two adults if they would accompany Ghost Merlin and him to the time of the Founders during the weekend. It took a short while, before his father slowly agreed.

When all Merlin students were assembled for breakfast on Saturday morning, Minerva, Severus and Gaoithe headed through the connecting door into the common room, where Ghost Merlin was already waiting.

"Marlin, would you please open the door to the cellar?" Merlin asked his familiar, who to Gaoithe's surprise obeyed immediately.

The small family followed Merlin into the cellar. The corridor was now much longer than when Gaoithe had been there the first time. The passed in front of the Safe Room, and Gaoithe suddenly remembered to ask Merlin about the box. '_I should have gone and opened it a long time ago_,' he mused, wondering why he hadn't come around to further explore the cellar of Merlin House yet.

"A box?" Merlin queried, shrugging. "Don't forget that I missed several hundred years, and I have no idea who had the gall to place a box into my Safe Room. Let me take a look."

"Would it be too much to ask that you examine the box on our way back?" Severus impatiently interrupted the conversation. "I believe that for the time being it is more urgent to retrieve the ingredients."

"Yes Dad, of course; I'm sorry," Gaoithe agreed and motioned for Merlin to quickly lead the way. To his relief, the ghost seemed to see reason and hurriedly led them to the end of the corridor, where they stopped in front of a white door.

"In order to open this door," Merlin began to explain, "someone has to transform into an animal, which lives for a relatively long time, for example a tortoise, a parrot or of course a phoenix. Then you need to ask the door to let you in to 'The Staircase of Time'."

"The Staircase of Time?" Gaoithe queried in surprise. However, seeing that his father couldn't wait to proceed, he transformed into his phoenix form and politely asked the door, #Would you please lead my parents and me in to the Staircase of Time?#

The door opened with a loud creak, revealing a round hall. It was made of a bright white marble like material that gave the illusion as if the sun was shining through the solid walls of the castle. Gaoithe had to shut his eyes for an instant, because the hall was so bright in comparison to the Merlin cellar. The major part of the hall was occupied by an enormous staircase with relatively wide steps. Gaoithe hesitantly stepped forward in order to try and see the end of the staircase, but it seemed to lead downwards into an abyss.

"The staircase leads back in time," Merlin explained gently. "For each year you have one step, so that we have to descend nearly one thousand steps to get to the Founders' time. I suggest that you walk slowly, because the faster you climb down the steps, the more magic it will afford." He swept ahead, and his three guests slowly followed him.

Gaoithe noticed in amazement that doors appeared to the right of each step on the staircase as soon as his foot touched the step. After a while, he realised that the doors changed their appearance to reflect different eras and became successively more old fashioned in appearance the further downwards they went.

"This is absolutely amazing," Minerva blurted out in disbelief, and Severus and Gaoithe agreed immediately.

After climbing down the staircase for about an hour, Merlin turned around and hovered in front of them. "From this door further downwards, you'll find all the Founders and me in the castle," he informed them. "There will be at least one hundred steps more. However, the Founders are of course younger and don't have as much experience as they have at this stage. The staircase goes down until the time of the building of Merlin House, which was a few years after Hogwarts was finished."

"Do I understand it correctly that this is the door that you would recommend for us to use?" Snape enquired, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, I think it would be a good time," Merlin confirmed.

Gaoithe glanced at the dark brown door in front of him that displayed, 'MXCVI'. He threw his father a questioning look.

"It is the year 1096 in Roman letters," Severus supplied. "Do you have an idea how to open the door?"

Gaoithe helplessly glanced around; however, the ghost was nowhere to be seen.

"Perhaps you have to transform into a magical animal," Minerva suggested, and Gaoithe quickly changed into his phoenix form.

#Will you please let us in to the Founders,# he trilled towards the door to no avail.

"If I get my hands on that ghost," Severus began in a dangerously quiet voice, just when Ghost Merlin swept back through the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I completely forgot that you don't know how to leave the staircase," he apologized. "Gaoithe, you must transform back and put your hand onto the door, so that it recognises the Merlin House magic."

Gaoithe obeyed, and the door opened instantly. In spite of the nearly one thousand steps that they had descended, they found themselves in front of the door, which they had passed in the cellar of Merlin House.

"Welcome back to Merlin House in the year 1096," Merlin said, smirking. "I suggest that you cast a notice-me-not charm on each other, so that people won't look at you in a strange way, because the three of you look quite extraordinary in your modern outfits.

A few minutes later, the three visitors followed the ghost through the very quiet halls of Hogwarts, realising that the castle looked the same as in their own time; only most of the paintings on both sides of the corridors were missing. Gaoithe looked through the window, noticing in surprise that the grounds were completely buried in snow. '_Wow, we left at the beginning of June in our time, and here it's winter_,' he thought in amazement.

They headed to the Great Hall first and were lucky to find all four Founders gathered around the Head table. "Hello everyone; don't be surprised and don't stun anyone, but I brought three visitors from the future."

Salazar glared at the group. "Reveal yourselves," he commanded angrily. "In our time, it is very impolite to intrude into someone's home and not show oneself."

"We are sorry, Professor Slytherin," Severus replied and quickly waved his wand at the three of them, before he introduced Minerva, himself and Gaoithe.

"Welcome to our time. Now don't mind Salazar and have some tea with us," Helga Hufflepuff greeted them kindly and motioned for them to take a seat at the table.

"The students just went home for their winter holidays this morning, and we're enjoying the quiet," Rowena Ravenclaw explained, smiling.

Gaoithe grinned inwardly as he heard Salazar mumble something like, "Not so quiet with the annoying dunderhead of a ghost and his visitors."

'_He resembles Severus_,' he thought in amusement and listened absentmindedly as Severus explained the reason for their visit.

"Moon berry leaves and sheep fern," Salazar repeated questioningly, quirking an eyebrow in a very Snape-ish manner. "That's no problem. We can retrieve both of them within two hours. Shall we leave right away?"

"No Salazar. First of all, we want to exchange a few words with our visitors," Helga said firmly, and the Founders began to question them about their life at Hogwarts in the future, before they told them about their own time.

Gaoithe enjoyed himself so much that he didn't realise how fast the time passed, and to him it seemed as if only a few minutes were gone, when Salazar suddenly said, "We need to go if we want to be back before it becomes dark."

"May I come with you?" Gaoithe asked, and Severus nodded.

"The forest is a dangerous place and not adequate for children," Salazar growled, glaring at the boy.

"If someone wantsss to harm me, I'm going to transssform into a basilisssk like Amaterassu and bite them," Gaoithe replied, using Parseltounge.

"You know Amaterasssu?" Salazar replied with apparent interest. "Isss she sstill well in your time?"

"She isss fine, and my father and I have already visited her several timesss," Gaoithe replied, inwardly chuckling at the sudden change of the Founder's attitude. However, he didn't feel as self confident anymore as he stumbled through the deep forest behind Salazar and his father, anxiously listening to the strange noises that sounded through the forest, coming from animals, which he hadn't even heard about before.

Gaoithe was so busy glancing around in fright that he ran into Severus, when Salazar and Severus suddenly stopped walking. "Here, these are moon berry leaves," Salazar explained, showing them a dark green leaf. They should be fairly easy to grow; you only have to put them into water, and they'll grow roots. However, I never tried it. I only heard that it worked that way. If I need them, I just come here and get them. As far as I know, it takes up to a week until the roots are large enough, so that you can plant them, and you should be able to use them for potions ingredients after the plant is about a month old. Since I'm not sure if this really works, I suggest that you take a sufficient amount with you. They'll stay fresh for a long time if you place them into my lab. If you visited Amaterasu, I suppose that she led you to my lab?"

"Yes sir," Gaoithe replied eagerly. "Your lab is very impressive. I love it."

"Very well then," Salazar spoke up again when Severus and Gaoithe had collected a huge pile of leaves. "I suggest that we head to Hogsmeade now. It's going to get dark shortly."

Once again, Gaoithe followed the two professors through the forest, anxiously listening to the sounds of the ancient nature. All of a sudden, he screamed in fright when something attacked him.

"Gaoithe!" his father blurted out in surprise, and the two Potions Masters turned around, only to begin to laugh.

"What's that?" Gaoithe asked, trying to glance at the thing that seemed to be clinging to his chest.

"That's a chameguise," Salazar explained, chuckling, "a magical chameleon." He carefully tried to pull the green animal off the boy; however, the chameguise let out an angry hiss and nestled deeper into Gaoithe's robes.

"It seems to have taken a liking to you," Severus said, smirking.

'Would you mind me becoming your familiar?' the chameguise suddenly mind thought to Gaoithe.

'I'd love to, but I already have a phoenix familiar,' Gaoithe thought back uncertainly. '_Can one have more than one familiar?_' he wondered.

'Does that matter?' the chameguise queried and looked at him.

"Dad, is it possible to have two familiars?" Gaoithe blurted out, causing the two Potions Masters to chuckle.

"I don't think it matters, Gaoithe," Severus said kindly, causing the boy to sigh in relief.

'It's all right,' he telepathically informed the chameguise that nodded contentedly and made itself comfortable on Gaoithe's shoulder. 'What is the difference between a chameguise and a chameleon?' he asked curiously, while they continued their walk through the forest.

'A chameguise is a magical animal, and I can make myself invisible. I like you. You smell like a chameguise.'

Gaoithe told him that he was a multiple Animagus and promised to transform into a chameguise later on. They continued their quiet conversation until they reached the village. '_This is Hogsmeade_?' Gaoithe thought in amazement. The village, which was a town in his own time, consisted of about two dozen small stone houses that were built along the main road. Salazar led them through the main street, helpfully pointing to one or the other house to show them where the Founders had lived before they had moved to Hogwarts. Finally, he stopped in front of a small house.

"My brother Severus lives here. We can get the sheep fern from him," he explained, before he led Severus and Gaoithe into the house.

If Gaoithe found that Salazar behaved in a similar way to Severus and even looked a bit alike, he found himself staring at Severus Slytherin, while Salazar introduced them to his brother. The man looked like an older brother of his father.

"Snape?" Severus Slytherin queried, raising an eyebrow at the younger man.

"From the magical line I'm a Prince," Severus admitted, "and the Princes are direct descendants from the Slytherin line."

Gaoithe tuned out the conversation and curiously eyed the ancient house. '_Where is the chameguise?_' he wondered, only now realising that his new familiar wasn't sitting on his shoulder anymore. '_I have to find her, before we head back to the future_,' he thought, '_and I need to find a name for her_.'

'Hey, where are you?' Gaoithe thought to the chameguise.

His new familiar chuckled and replied, 'I'm still sitting on your shoulder. I've only turned invisible when we entered the house here. Not all humans like animals.'

'Oh, I see. Thank you so much for your consideration,' Gaoithe gave back, only now realising that his left shoulder indeed felt a tiny bit heavier than the other side. 'I still need a name for you.'

"Gaoithe, are you coming?" his father's voice pulled him out of his reverie, and Gaoithe noticed that the adults seemed to have finished their conversation. "Is everything all right?" Severus asked quietly as they left the house and stepped back onto the main street.

"I'm sorry, Dad, I was thinking about how to name my chameguise," Gaoithe explained.

"How about Iro?" Salazar suggested and explained, "That means 'Colour' in Japanese."

"That's a good idea," Gaoithe agreed, remembering that Salazar had called his basilisk after the Japanese sun goddess. "What do you think? Would you like to be called 'Iro'?" he asked his familiar that was peacefully resting in his neck.

'I love it,' the chameguise thought to him.

風の力を持つハリー

They arrived back at Hogwarts right in time for dinner, and Salazar led them straight into the Great Hall, where the three other Founders and Minerva were already waiting. Minerva told them that she had spent an interesting afternoon with Godric and Rowena, before she admired Gaoithe's new familiar. "I've never heard of a chameguise. I don't think that there are any around in our time," she said, hesitantly stroking the animal's soft skin.

"No, I don't think so either. You're lucky, Gaoithe," Severus agreed with his fiancée.

"Severus, Gaoithe, so many things are completely different from our time. I'd love for us to remain here and study ancient magic for a while," Minerva suddenly said with excitement that was very uncharacteristic for the normally stern professor.

"I'd like to return to our time and finish the potion as well as the school year first," Severus replied, quirking an eyebrow.

"Can we come back here during the holidays?" Gaoithe asked eagerly. "It would be great if Professor Slytherin could teach us ancient Potions."

"In which Hogwarts year are you?" Godric enquired strictly.

"I'm a first year, sir, but it's only one more week until the school year ends," Gaoithe said quietly, uncertainly averting his eyes to his plate.

"Then I suggest that the three of you come back during your holidays; however, for the timing you should try to arrive at the beginning of the new school year and stay here for a school year," Godric replied thoughtfully.

"Anyway, I believe that it's too late to walk all the steps, of which Minerva told us, back to the future. It would be too strenuous for an eleven-year-old to make the way twice in one day," Helga said gently. "Why don't you stay in our guest quarters for the time being? For your return to the past it won't matter if you go back today, tomorrow or in a few days' time."

The three guests from the future agreed, and Severus accepted gratefully when Salazar offered to brew the potion for Neville's parents together. To Gaoithe's disappointment, Salazar did not allow him to join them; however, Godric invited Minerva and him to come into his office, where Rowena, Helga and Godric told them many interesting things about the time when they built the castle and about classes in the past.

Gaoithe had followed the conversation with interest. Only when Godric and Minerva ended up discussing a different Transfiguration spell, he curiously let his eyes wander along the Headmaster's office. '_Apart from the objects on the shelves, it doesn't look so much different from the future_,' he mused, just when Fawkes flashed into the office with a bright flash of flames. '_In our time, he has much more experience_,' Gaoithe thought and couldn't help chuckling.

#Oh no, children in our office, even during the holidays,# Fawkes groaned in annoyance, apparently unaware of the fact that someone beside Godric was able to understand his trills.

"Is it all right if I change into my phoenix form?" Gaoithe asked hesitantly, receiving encouraging words from the adults. He quietly reached for Iro and placed her on Minerva's lap, before transformed and flew onto Fawkes' perch, sitting beside the older phoenix, who eyed the wind phoenix with clear displeasure.

#Hello Fawkes, I'm Gaoithe, and I'm a good friend of you in the future,# he quickly introduced himself.

#I am going to become friends with a wind phoenix?# Fawkes asked horrified, fluffing his feathers in a huff. #I don't believe you. Prove it.#

Gaoithe looked at his future friend in disbelief. #How can I prove something that happens nearly 1000 years into the future?# He feverishly searched his mind for any information Fawkes might have given him about the past but couldn't recall anything that would work as a proof. #I don't know,# he trilled finally. #Everyone, who doesn't know you well, thinks very highly of you, but in fact you're a mischief maker. You play lots of pranks.#

Fawkes chuckled, and the two birds began to talk animatedly until Salazar and Severus entered the Headmaster's office. Salazar turned to Minerva. "Minerva, we finished the potion for the Longbottoms, and I'd like to help them as soon as possible. Would you mind returning to the future right away? Seeing that Gaoithe is in his phoenix form, I'm going to give him a ride on my shoulder."

"I understand only too well," Minerva said softly, "and it's all right, considering that we're going to come back here next weekend."

They profusely thanked the Founders, who accompanied them to Merlin House. '_I just hope Marlin will easily open the entrance to the cellar for us_,' Gaoithe mused; however, Fawkes showed himself from his best side and appeared right in time to exchange a few trills with Marlin, who obeyed immediately. #Thank you, Fawkes, Marlin,# Gaoithe trilled and flew ahead into the cellar. #Dad, why don't you and Minerva grab my tail feathers, and I try to flash us back upstairs?# he queried, eyeing the huge staircase.

"No Gaoithe, that would afford too much magic," Severus replied firmly. "You can either fly ahead of us or sit on my shoulder, which would be the best solution I believe."

'_How boring_,' Gaoithe thought, '_on the other hand I don't want to be tired when we're back home, because I don't want to miss Neville's parents become cured_.' He made himself comfortable on Severus' shoulder and yawned, before he buried his head in his back feathers and slowly drifted off to sleep, while the teachers climbed upstairs, talking animatedly about their trip to the Founders. Only when they reached the top door of the staircase, Severus roused Gaoithe, who once again had to transform into his human form and place his hand against the door in order to be let in. "Sorry for leaving you with Minerva the whole time," he apologized to Iro as he took the chameguise back and placed her on his shoulder, chuckling when she made herself comfortable in his neck. "That tickles," he said, laughing.

To Gaoithe's surprise, they arrived home a few minutes after they had left. '_The few minutes are probably those that we spent walking through Merlin House_,' he thought. '_That's too cool. I can go and visit the Founders or even other people in the past, and no one will know, because I'll be back right after leaving_.'

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe was pulled out of his thoughts when Severus asked him if he could either fetch the Marauders' Map to see where Neville was or flash to fetch the boy. "I'll get him," he said eagerly and once more laid Iro into Minerva's hands, before he transformed and flashed away, finding Neville in one of the greenhouses, where he was helping Professor Sprout. Gaoithe transformed back. "Good morning, Professor. Hi Neville. I'm sorry to disturb you, but my father brewed the potion for your parents. Can you come with me?"

"He has... Really?" Neville's eyes widened in disbelief and he stared at Gaoithe in shock, unable to move.

"Oh Neville, that's wonderful," Professor Sprout said excitedly. "Thank you so much for helping, but now you must help your parents. You can come back here at any time."

Neville thanked the professor, and the two boys hurried outside, where Gaoithe transformed again and flashed them home. Severus shortly explained that he had brewed the potion together with Salazar in the past and asked Neville to accompany him to St. Mungo's. Minerva decided to join them, and Gaoithe begged his father to let him come as well.

"Please Professor, I'd be glad if Gaoithe could come with us," Neville threw in, and Severus grudgingly agreed.

Using the connecting doors to the Merlin common room and from there to the hospital wing, the four entered Poppy's office, knowing that the Healer's fireplace was directly connected to St. Mungo's. "I shall accompany you and introduce you to Healer O'Brien, the Head Healer," she offered. "He is a very good friend of mine."

Minerva chuckled. "Indeed," causing Gaoithe to look at her in surprise, especially as his Head of House playfully slapped her friend's arm.

"Everything will be easier if the Head Healer agrees," Severus said in appreciation. "Even if the Potions Masters know me well, they'll hardly agree for us to just walk inside and administer a potion to patients in their long time ward."

風の力を持つハリー

One after another, Poppy, Minerva, Severus, Neville and Gaoithe took the Floo to the magical hospital. Arriving in a huge and crowded hall, Poppy led them away from the crowd and to the Head Healer's office. Gaoithe unobtrusively eyed Healer O'Brien. He was fairly big, even if not as tall as Severus, and had dark hair and a beard. '_He seems very nice_,' he thought when the Head Healer greeted them in a gentle voice and motioned for them to take a seat.

Severus explained the reason for their visit, and when Poppy confirmed that Severus was not delirious but that everything he said was true, Healer O'Brien leaned into the fireplace and ordered a few Healers and Mediwitches into his office. While the adults were talking in apparent excitement, Gaoithe sat quietly next to Neville and gently stroked Iro's skin, noticing in amazement how the chameguise had adapted the colour of her skin to his own clothing. '_Probably no one even noticed her; she's really cute_,' he thought, feeling very happy about his familiar. '_Oh, I have to introduce her to Yuki. I hope they'll get along with each other_.' Sensing that Neville was very excited, he felt sorry for his friend and thought to him, 'Would you like to stroke her? She won't harm you. She's very friendly.'

Neville threw him a surprised look but hesitantly extended his hand, and Gaoithe noticed contentedly how the boy slowly began to relax just a little bit. 'I'm sorry; I hope you don't mind,' he apologized to Iro.

'Don't worry. He is very careful. He seems to be a nice boy,' his familiar replied calmly.

Finally, one of the Healers led them through the hospital to a ward that seemed to be much quieter than all the others that they passed on the way. They stopped in front of a closed door and Healer Brien said, "I suggest that only Professor Snape enters the room to administer the potion together with the Healers, who are in charge of the Longbottoms."

Severus slightly inclined his head, before he turned to Neville. "Mr. Longbottom, do you want to accompany me?" he asked in a soft voice.

Neville looked up in surprise. "Yes please, sir," he said eagerly.

Gaoithe was glad that at least Minerva remained in the corridor with him, when his Head of House excused herself and bustled away together with the Head Healer. "Gaoithe," Minerva began to speak in a soft voice, "I don't know if anyone ever told you that, but Alice Longbottom, Neville's mother, is your godmother. She was a very good friend of your mother. Does Neville know about your true identity?"

"No," Gaoithe replied slowly. "I don't think anyone but the twins know, and of course you, Dad, Professor Pomfrey and the Headmaster. I was thinking about letting Hermione in as well as Neville, Draco and Blaise, but then I thought it wasn't important anyway..." He slowly trailed off.

"I think that it is not important, Gaoithe," Minerva said soothingly. "But I'm glad that you feel ready to speak with your friends about the matter in case you want to talk to them for one or the other reason."

"Do you think that Neville's mother still knows that she is my godmother?" Gaoithe asked curiously.

Before Minerva could reply, the door to the patients' room opened and Severus stepped out, an unreadable expression on his face. "Minerva, I believe you should be there not I," he said in a quiet voice. "I'll go home with Gaoithe. There is nothing that I can do for them anymore."

Minerva looked at him in utmost concern, before she agreed and hesitantly stepped into the room of the Longbottoms. Severus looked at Gaoithe. "Let's go home."

"But Dad," Gaoithe protested in confusion. "Are they all right or not? Don't you have to stay and make sure that they're all right?"

Severus let out a long sigh. "No Gaoithe. I brewed the potion and administered it. There is nothing else that I could do for them. I'm sure that Minerva will be able to tell us more when she comes home later on."

"Okay then, can we flash home? The hall with the fireplaces was so crowded," Gaoithe said pleadingly, and Severus nodded in agreement.

"Yes please."

Instants later, they were back in their own quarters. '_Something isn't right_,' Gaoithe thought, feeling terrified for Neville. '_Maybe it would have been better if we hadn't told him anything in advance._' When his father suggested for him to take a nap, since they had been on their feet for more than twenty hours, Gaoithe vehemently refused.

"No, I'll go and visit Fawkes," he replied, hoping that the phoenix would be able to distract him from his worries.

"Very well then, I'll be in my lab," Severus replied in understanding. "I'll send Yuki to fetch you when Minerva comes back."

Fawkes happily greeted Gaoithe. #It's about time that you come and visit me,# he trilled when the wind phoenix arrived on his perch. #I have a brilliant idea for a prank that we can play on the teachers during or at the beginning of the holidays.#

'_So much about distraction from worries_,' Gaoithe mused in annoyance, rolling his eyes at the older phoenix.

#What kind of prank is it?# Gaoithe asked without even trying to feign much interest.

#I thought about placing invisible Portkeys under the entrance doors to the teachers' private quarters that lead them into one of their colleagues' quarters,# Fawkes trilled in excitement. Apparently noticing that Gaoithe did not become overly excited by his suggestion, he added, #We can make the de-aged know-it-all arrive at your father's quarters if you want.#

#That would be nice, Fawkes. I wouldn't want Professor Trelawny sneak around our quarters,# Gaoithe replied, fluffing his feathers. #Well, good luck then Fawkes. I'll go and help my father in his lab.# With that he flashed home before Fawkes could protest, thinking, '_No, I won't let myself being pulled into playing that prank. I'll better check on Dad. He seemed a bit depressed earlier_.'

"Gaoithe," Severus said in surprise, looking up from his work.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked after quickly transforming back.

"Ah, this is just crap," Severus growled and banished the potion that he was just stirring. "I messed it up." He let out a long sigh.

"Dad, is something wrong?" Gaoithe asked softly. "Did something happen at the hospital?"

Severus sighed again, before he waved his wand over his work space and cleaned everything up. '_I thought he was going to brew_,' Gaoithe thought in surprise but kept quiet and observed his father in concern.

"Let's sit in the living room and talk," Severus said quietly and strode ahead, making himself comfortable in his favourite armchair.

Gaoithe sat on the sofa, giving his father an expectant look.

"Gaoithe," Severus slowly began to speak, "there is something that I should have told you a long time ago. In fact, I do not wish to speak about it; however…" He slowly trailed off.

Gaoithe waited patiently, wondering what was wrong. "Dad, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to speak about it," he finally spoke up in a soft voice. "Would it be easier if I was in my phoenix form?"

Severus ran a hand through his hair and let out another long sigh. "Thank you, Gaoithe, but that wouldn't change anything. However, I'd like you to keep to yourself what I'm going to tell you."

"Of course."

"While your mother was my best friend when we were at Hogwarts, your father and his best friend were my worst enemies. They taunted me because of being a Slytherin," Severus explained. "They behaved towards me like Mr. Weasley behaves towards you."

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe said sadly.

"No Gaoithe. You don't have to be sorry, and I also suggest that you ask Minerva or Neville's mother Alice to give you a better opinion on your father. She was a good friend of your mother."

"Minerva told me that she is my godmother," Gaoithe said softly.

"Yes," Severus confirmed. "Anyway, the reason why I told you about my problems with your father is to tell you that I didn't have a really good time at Hogwarts during my later Hogwarts years, and I made a huge mistake. I let myself talk into becoming one of the Dark Lord's followers, and when I noticed that it was a mistake, it was too late to fully return. However, Professor Dumbledore gave me a new chance and made me his spy. I spied on the Dark Lord for him. However, not everyone of the light side was aware of the fact." He unconsciously played with a cork in his robe pocket. "When I gave Mrs. Longbottom the potion earlier, she looked at me and began to shout and call me "Death Eater." He slowly brought his forefinger up to his face to massage his temples, before he continued, "She thought that I had taken her baby away, and when I told her that Neville was already eleven, because ten years had passed, she didn't believe me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Dad," Gaoithe said softly and stepped over, placing his hand on Severus' shoulder. "She couldn't know..."

"Of course she couldn't know. It was just a shock. The relief to see her features change back to normal, to how she looked in our Hogwarts time, and then in the next instant..." Severus trailed off and straightened in his seat. "Please forget about it. Now you know everything about my past. I hope you won't despise me..."

"Why would I? You're the best father I can imagine," Gaoithe replied, smiling, and pulled his father into a slight hug, which Severus returned in apparent relief at his son's reaction. They remained in that position for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet father – son time, until suddenly Minerva stepped into the room.

"Severus, are you all right?" she queried in concern.

"Of course," Severus replied crisply. "Is everything all right?"

Gaoithe returned to his seat on the sofa, and Minerva sat next to him. "Yes and no," she said and sighed, before she called Malcolm and asked the elf to bring tea for the three of them, before she began to explain what had happened at the hospital.

"Alice and Frank are fine. I don't know if you already told Goaithe about Alice's reaction. Anyway, she couldn't believe that Neville all of a sudden aged to an eleven-year old, because he had only been a year old the previous day. Of course it didn't help either that I'm much younger than how she remembered me or that she thought Severus was a Death Eater. But they finally believed Neville and me. In the meantime, the Healers had called Augusta, Frank's mother. She took Neville in when his parents were moved to St. Mungo's ten years ago. I know her well, because she is one of my friends since we attended Hogwarts together. Anyway, Augusta came into the room and saw her son and daughter-in-law and suffered a heart attack." Minerva sighed and took a few sips from her tea, before she continued, "She'll probably be all right, but she is at the hospital now."

"Oh no," Gaoithe threw in. "Poor Neville. Are his parents all right now though?"

"They are all right, but they have been out of life for such a long time that they're not able to just return home as if nothing happened. Therefore, I suggested for them to come to Hogwarts with me, and they did. I brought them to the Headmaster, and he assigned them guest quarters for the time being. The entrance is near the hospital wing, so that Poppy is able to watch over them as long as necessary."

Looking at Severus, Minerva continued, "I told Alice everything about your spying activities, and I also informed her that it was you who saved both of their lives. She feels very bad about what she said to you and she told me she wanted to apologize as soon as possible."

"No thank you," Severus replied briskly, focussing his eyes on his tea.

"Dad, please," Gaoithe threw in, "she really couldn't know, and you always complain that there aren't many adults of your age at Hogwarts. It would be great if we were friends with Neville's family. Also they might need our help."

"Very well said, Gaoithe," Minerva said warmly. "Now I suggest that we take a short nap and then fetch the Longbottoms for dinner, provided that you don't mind having dinner in the Great Hall tonight." She questioningly looked at Severus and Gaoithe.

Severus cleared his throat. "Minerva, you can invite them to have dinner here, if they don't mind eating together with me. They might feel uncomfortable in the Great Hall," he said in a soft voice.

"Are you sure, Severus?" Minerva asked in concern.

"Yes Minerva, I'm sure," Severus replied and stood from his seat. He stepped around the table and reached out for Minerva's hand to pull her up from the sofa. "As you said let's go and take a nap," he said, smirking as he laid his arm around his fiancé and led her into his bedroom.

Gaoithe rolled his eyes in amusement. '_Annoying_,' he thought, suddenly noticing that he was very tired too. '_Oh well, we spent a whole day in the past. That was a really long and eventful day_.' He followed the adults' example and retired to his own room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Severus woke Gaoithe up two hours later. "Dad, Minerva, do you think I should tell Neville and his parents the truth about my identity?" he asked when they gathered in the living room.

"Gaoithe, that's completely up to you," Severus said thoughtfully, "although I have the impression as if Neville was one of your best friends, and as far as I know him, I'd think that he would keep your secret."

"He definitely would," Gaoithe agreed.

"Then maybe tonight would be a good opportunity," Minerva threw in, smiling.

'_Only if they apologize to Dad though_,' Gaoithe thought as he sat on the sofa and carefully stroked Iro's skin, while Minerva left to fetch the Longbottoms. '_I hope they'll do that for Neville's sake_.' "Dad, is everything all right?" he asked carefully, noticing that his father seemed to be very tense as he sat in his favourite armchair.

"Of course, Gaoithe," Severus replied in a neutral voice, but Gaoithe knew that he was very stressed.

"Dad, if something is the matter, just think to me and I'll transform into my phoenix form and flash us into the herb garden on the roof, or we could go there together with Neville if you want to get away for a while."

"Thank you, Gaoithe," Severus said warmly and gratefully squeezed his son's hand, just when Minerva entered the room with their guests in tow.

"Severus, I have to apologize," Alice spoke up as soon as she entered the room, holding out her hand to her former classmate.

"And we have to thank you, Severus. Minerva and Neville told us what you have done for us. Thank you very much," Frank said, before Severus even had the chance to reply.

Severus remained quiet and only slightly inclined his head; however, Gaoithe noticed that he looked less tense than before and inwardly sighed in relief.

"This is Gaoithe Snape, Severus' son," Minerva introduced the boy, who shot her a grateful smile.

"Oh my, a wonderful son you have, Severus," Alice said kindly and turned to Gaoithe. "Neville told me about you. Thank you for being such a good friend to him."

"We're in the same House and share a dormitory, when I'm not staying at home," Gaoithe replied shyly. '_I can understand why she was my mum's best friend apart from dad_,' he thought. '_She seems really nice_.'

Finally, everyone sat down and ate dinner. Gaoithe quietly talked with Neville, who was sitting next to him on the sofa, while the four adults mainly spoke about the events of the last ten years, which the Longbottoms had missed.

"Neville, do you think your parents can keep a secret? There is something I'd like to tell you," Gaoithe cautiously asked his friend.

Apparently sensing Gaoithe's nervousness, Neville whispered back, "I don't know them at all, but I'll ask them." He turned to his parents and waited until his father finished speaking, before he hesitantly asked, "Mum, Dad, can you promise to keep a secret? Gaoithe wants to tell us something."

"I'm sure that it's all right to tell them, Gaoithe," Minerva reassured the boy, throwing him an encouraging smile.

"Okay, um..." Gaoithe cleared his throat, before he continued, "Only a handful of the teachers know about this. In fact, Dad is my adoptive father, and my real name is not Gaoithe. I am Harry Potter."

"Harry?" Alice was the first to react. "Harry, Lily's son?" When Gaoithe nodded, she rose from her chair and stepped around the table. Sitting between the two boys, she pulled Gaoithe into a bear hug. "You're my godson, do you know that?"

"Yes... Godmother," Gaoithe replied, smiling.

Alice turned to Severus. "I can't tell you how grateful I am that you took the child in. I couldn't believe it when Albus took him to the Dursleys, but before I could discuss the matter with him, we were attacked and I know nothing of what happened afterwards. Anyway, Lily would be glad that you chose to become his adoptive father."

"It is a long story, which I'm sure Gaoithe will be pleased to tell you at a later time," Severus replied, smirking.

The Longbottoms and the Snapes animatedly talked for the rest of the evening and agreed to have dinner again together the next day. During the whole week until the beginning of the summer holidays, the two families met in the Snapes' quarters every evening. After dinner, Gaoithe and Neville retreated to Gaoithe's room to do their homework, while the adults talked about different matters.

風の力を持つハリー

On the first day of the summer holidays, after Minerva, Severus, Gaoithe and Neville had escorted the students to the station in Hogsmeade, the small family gathered in the living room to have lunch. "When do you want to travel to the past?" Severus suddenly queried, raising an eyebrow at Minerva.

"Hmmm," she said thoughtfully, "we can go whenever we want and come back on the same day, can't we?" Seeing Gaoithe and Severus nod, she continued, "in that case we could leave right away. We should ask Merlin however, what we can do about the exact timing."

"Why is it so important that we're back the same day?" Gaoithe asked in confusion.

"Because you have to do your summer assignments," Severus replied, smirking.

Gaoithe gave his father a disbelieving look that made Minerva chuckle. "Oh Severus, if we're going to stay in the past for a few months like Godric and Salazar suggested, I believe that Gaoithe will do a lot of work to make up for his summer assignments. In fact, we don't have to be back on the same day, only some time before the first of July. I was just worried about the Longbottoms, but on the other hand, they have to learn to get along by themselves."

"It would be great if they could stay at Hogwarts, too. Neville seems so much happier now that they're here," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "Oh well, I'll go and ask the ghost about the timing thing." With that he crossed the room and stepped through the connection door to the Merlin common room in search for Merlin only to storm back into the room a few minutes later. "Merlin said when I put my hand on the door, I have to tell it the exact date to where we want to go," he said in excitement. "Are we going to leave right away?"

"Slowly," Severus replied, giving his son an amused look. "What are you going to do with your familiars? Do you want to take both of them with you?"

Gaoithe hadn't even thought about that. "Iro, Yuki, are you going to come with me to the past, or do you want to remain here until I'm back?"

'I'd love to come,' Iro thought to him, nestling deeper into his neck.

#Can Fawkes come and stay here with me?# Yuki trilled softly.

Gaoithe quickly translated her question, before he replied, "Can you call him, so that I can speak with him please?"

Yuki complied, and instants later, Fawkes flashed into the room. Gaoithe quickly explained why they had called him.

#I'll take good care of Yuki,# Fawkes promised with his usual mischievous look on his face.

"Let me tell you, if our quarters look in any way differently from how they're now, I'm going to use you for potions ingredients," Severus said firmly, causing Fawkes to mutter something incomprehensive.

"Or for chicken noodle soup," Gaoithe added, smirking at his friend.

風の力を持つハリー

Twenty minutes and a few Floo calls later, the Snapes were on their way down the huge staircase. '_I wonder how classes in the past are_,' Gaoithe thought as he followed Severus and Minerva downstairs. '_Perhaps they have different subjects from our time. I hope Salazar will teach me Potions. There seem to be so many that are lost in our time, and I still didn't get around translating his books. But I don't like him very much. He seems to be a bit grumpy_. _I should ask Iro if she wants to bring a friend. She must be lonely in our time, when there aren't any other chameguises left._'

Gaoithe was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that he had the impression as if the travel passed faster than the last time. All of a sudden, they stood in front of the door, which they had used the week before.

"Very well then, Gaoithe, think of the thirty-first of August please," Severus instructed him.

Gaoithe nodded and laid his hand on the door, telling the door the date to which they wanted to be taken. He suggested to flash Minerva and Severus in front of the Headmaster's office, and the adults gladly agreed, since the thought of climbing more steps within the castle was not overly appealing.

風の力を持つハリー

The four Founders were gathered in the Headmaster's office, checking the timetables, when they arrived.

"Minerva, Severus, Gaoithe!" Rowena was the first to greet them. "There you are. We were wondering when you were going to arrive."

Helga pulled Gaoithe in a hug. "Welcome to Hogwarts in our time. I'm glad to have you here, sweetie."

"Thank you," Gaoithe said and listened with interest as his parents discussed with the Founders if he was going to become a first or a second year.

"If he has already finished his first Hogwarts year in the future, it would probably be frustrating to become a first year again," Godric said thoughtfully. "I suggest..."

"Nonsense," Salazar interrupted him, growling, "from what Snape told me, classes in the future must be very different. Therefore, it wouldn't make sense to put him in any other year than the first."

"I don't mind becoming a first year," Gaoithe said softly, although he admitted to himself that he was slightly disappointed, because he had hoped to be able to learn further advanced magic. '_Especially in Potions_,' he thought, '_considering that Dad told me that I'm already able to brew OWL level potions_.' However, he knew better than to contradict, and when he listened to the adults speak about the different classes, he soon realised that Salazar had been absolutely correct.

"In which House are you in the future?" Godric suddenly asked.

"In Merlin House. Do you already have Merlin House in this time?" So far Gaoithe hadn't even thought about the question.

"Merlin House?" Salazar scoffed. "No, that dunderhead of a ghost doesn't have his own House in our time."

"Well, then I'm afraid that we need Sopho to sort you once again," Godric said firmly, and Gaoithe inwardly groaned in annoyance as he followed the Founder's glance to the shelf, where the Sorting Hat was sitting on his usual spot. '_Oh no, I wonder where he's going to sort me this time. I don't mind any of the four Houses. I just hope he's not going to throw a fit like the last time_.'

風の力を持つハリー

After dinner in the Great Hall, Rowena instructed the three time travellers to follow her.

"We arranged our guest quarters for you," she explained gently.

'_Here is where the hospital wing is in our time_,' Gaoithe thought as he followed the adults. Rowena led them further down the corridor, before she turned around a corner and finally stopped in front of a huge painting of the four Founders. She asked the painting to open, and to Gaoithe's amusement, the two witches, who were standing between the wizards, stepped aside. Rowena let herself sink into Godric's arms, while Helga was being pulled into an embrace by Salazar. The space in the middle changed into an opening in the wall. Rowena strode ahead into a small hall with three doors. Pointing consecutively to the left and the right doors, she explained, "Helga's and Salazar's quarters, and these are Godric's and mine. Feel free to visit us at any time." She opened the door in the middle. "These are your quarters. Please make yourselves comfortable. We expect you in the Great Hall for breakfast at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. The students are going to arrive at eleven."

The Snapes thanked Rowena, and the Founder left after promising that they wouldn't have to worry about leaving their quarters, because Helga's and her portrait in the painting would let them in at any time and without password, just by recognition.

"I wonder how the students are going to arrive," Gaoithe mused aloud. "They don't have trains in this time, do they?"

"No, they don't," Minerva replied, smiling. "I'm sure that we're going to make many interesting experiences while we're here."

To Gaoithe's surprise, the students were brought to Hogwarts by their parents, who apparated them straight to the apparition border. Gaoithe observed in amazement as Godric greeted everyone and told the students as well as the parents of the first years to follow him and gather in the Great Hall. The first years' parents took seats at a guest table that had appeared next to the Gryffindor table, just where the Merlin table was in the future.

'_Where are Dad and Minerva?_' Gaoithe wondered as he stood in front of the Sorting Hat together with the other first years, before he noticed happily that they were sitting at the guest table together with the other parents. '_They aren't teachers here. They're here as my parents today_,' he thought, feeling very happy.

Nearly all of the students were already sorted, when Godric Gryffindor finally called, "Snape, Gaoithe."

He stepped forward and shifted uncomfortably on the stool, when Godric placed the Hat on his head.

'Oh no; it's you again,' the Hat growled in apparent annoyance. 'I have already sorted you in the future, but we don't have the House of the good-for-no-other-House idiots here in this time...'

'It's all right. I...'

'Shut up, you fool. I'm currently thinking. I know what you want anyway. Since your parents are the Heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor in the future, you hope to get into one of these Houses.'

'It's all right. I don't care. I came here to study, nothing else.'

'No no no, I won't do you the favour of putting you into Ravenclaw. You're one of these annoying busybodies, who try to please everyone at the same time.' With that the Hat quietened and shouted into the Hall, "Hufflepuff."

Gaoithe could only feel relief as he tore the Hat from his head and made his way to the Hufflepuff table.

"Sit here," a friendly looking girl told him, and Gaoithe complied. "I am Ceridwen Hufflepuff. I'm a first year as well," she introduced herself, and Gaoithe noticed quickly that the girl, who as he found out soon was Helga's sister, loved to talk.

The boy on his other side was Gawain, and Gaoithe liked him immediately. Ceridwen, Gawain and Gaoithe were the only Hufflepuff first years out of thirteen first years.

To Gaoithe's surprise they did not have classes on the first day. In the morning, the Headmaster took them out onto the grounds. "For some of your classes, you have to be specially prepared," he informed them as he motioned them to wait at a particular spot on the grounds. "As you might have seen on your timetables, you have Unicorn Riding classes twice a week," the Headmaster explained. "In contrary to Muggle horses, unicorns only allow those humans to ride on them, to whom they have become friends. Therefore, I will introduce you to our herd. Don't move, but let the unicorns come and choose you," he instructed them.

A few minutes later, a herd of unicorns surrounded them. '_I hope one of them will choose me_,' Gaoithe thought in concern, looking up when Ceridwen whispered, "Don't worry, Gaoithe. The unicorns are very nice."

Before he knew it, one of the beautiful white creatures stood in front of him. "Hello beautiful," he said softly, regretting that he couldn't transform into a unicorn right away. '_No one here should know about my Animagus abilities_,' he thought, not wanting to attract any attention.

"Her name is Moonlight," Godric informed him as he walked by.

When everyone was paired up with a unicorn, the Headmaster showed them how to carefully touch the unicorns, and they spent some more time with the magical creatures. By the time Godric led them back to the castle, Gaoithe had already become very fond of Moonlight and couldn't wait to ride on her.

Afterwards, Godric made the first years observe his Sword Fighting class with the seventh years. "Your Sword Fighting classes will commence next week. During your fifth year, you will make your own swords," he informed the new students, who were looking at the beautiful swords of the older students in awe.

風の力を持つハリー

Apart from Transfiguration, Charms and Potions, they also had classes in Ancient Runes, Healing, Wandless Magic and Occlumency. Gaoithe enjoyed himself very much, and he became soon best friends with Ceridwen and Gawain. In spite of his earlier reservations towards Salazar, he noticed soon that he liked all four Founders very much.

"I'm so glad that the Sorting Hat put me into Hufflepuff in this time," he told Minerva and Severus one day when he returned to his own room on a Sunday afternoon. "I think from the four teachers in this time, she is the kindest and friendliest."

The only subject, in which he really had problems, was Occlumency, which was taught by Salazar. He just couldn't manage to keep the Slytherin out of his mind, and the professor seemed to be amused by the fact that the student, who was so very advanced in Potions, was unable to manage even the first steps of Occlumency.

One evening shortly before curfew, Gaoithe entered the Snapes' quarters, where Minerva and Severus were quietly studying for their own classes with the Founders. They both looked up in confusion, when Gaoithe stormed into the room, throwing his school bag into the corner in a very uncharacteristic rage.

"Gaoithe, what happened?" they asked simultaneously, but Gaoithe was too upset to laugh about the situation.

"Slytherin is an absolute git," he blurted out, trying hard to fight back the tears that were swimming in his eyes. "He searched my mind for bad memories to make me angry. He looked at one memory after the other how Uncle Vernon punished me. It was horrible, and my head hurts. "Dad, may I have a headache potion?"

"Of course, Gaoithe, and I can teach you Occlumency if you want," Severus replied in a soft voice, while Minerva fetched a potion for the boy.

"Why don't you stay here tonight?" she asked gently. "You look very tired."

"Yeah," Gaoithe replied, yawning. "This morning in class, Slytherin thought I didn't try at all; he didn't believe me that I tried but just couldn't keep him out, so I had to serve detention with him and study more Occlumency over the whole evening. But is it all right for Professor Hufflepuff if I stay here?"

"I'll go and speak with her," Minerva replied soothingly. "I'm sure that she'll understand."

"Thank you. Good night, Minerva, night Dad," Gaoithe said sleepily and went straight to bed.

By the time Minerva returned from the Founders' quarters and looked into the boy's room, Gaoithe was already fast asleep. However, he was thrashing around wildly and was completely entangled in his covers. "No uncle, please, I promise to be good and to not do any funny things. Don't hurt me," he repeated a few times, before Minerva carefully shook his shoulder, knowing that he was already used to her soft touch, and woke him up.

"It's all right, sweetie; you're safe and sound at Hogwarts," she said softly, gently stroking his cheek.

"Mum," Gaoithe replied sleepily, "I had a bad dream. I did magic, and my uncle didn't like it. Thank you for waking me up. Can I go back to the future? I don't like Occlumency."

Minerva continued to gently stroke Gaoithe's cheek and said, "We'll see, Gaoithe. I'll speak with your father about it. He is a specialist of Occlumency, and I'm sure he'll be able to help you. Also Professor Hufflepuff promised to speak with her husband. Now go back to sleep, and we'll think of something. Good night, sweetie."

"Okay, night," Gaoithe mumbled contentedly, enjoying the gentle touch, which he had never experienced in his earlier childhood. However, sleep did not come easily.

Seeing that Gaoithe was lying there with his eyes open, Minerva began to tell him about her classes with the Founders. She spoke in a soft, quiet voice that after a short while lulled the boy into sleep.

Just about when his breathing finally evened out, Severus quietly entered the room. "Is everything all right?" he asked in concern.

Minerva quickly told him what had happened, before she said, smiling, "He was so out of it that he called me 'Mum'. Does it make sense if I say that I felt very happy about it?"

Severus smiled and gently kissed his fiancée. "Yes Minerva, it makes sense, and I'm glad that he feels that way about you, too."

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The following day was a Saturday, and Severus and Gaoithe spent a few hours practising Occlumency. "Gaoithe, you need to try clearing your mind of everything. I always think of a bubbling cauldron. I have an image in my mind of a potion that is simmering in a cauldron, slowly bubbling from time to time, and I put this image in front of everything else and just try to lock it there, so that nobody can remove it to look behind. Now try to think of an image, concentrate on it and tell me when you're ready so that I can try Leglimency on you."

After a few minutes, Gaoithe gave him a short nod to show that he was ready. Severus pointed his wand at Gaoithe. "Legilimens."

A lot of pictures passed in front of Severus' eyes; Gaoithe in his phoenix form sitting on Severus' shoulder, Gaoithe and the twins talking about playing a prank on Fawkes, Gaoithe as a cat sitting in the Dursleys' garden talking with Minerva, Gaoithe as Harry being pulled by the ear by a man who had to be his uncle. With that Severus ended the spell. It was late on Sunday afternoon, when the scenes suddenly stopped, and Severus got a glance at the Hogwarts lake in a storm that made the waves so high that they buried the Giant Squid in the water each time it struggled to reach the surface again.

"Very well done, Gaoithe," Severus commended his son. "We'll practice again next weekend, and in a few weeks' time you'll probably be able to completely occlude your mind.

"It's difficult though," Gaoithe replied in exhaustion. "Thank you very much, Dad."

風の力を持つハリー

The small family decided to remain in the past until the beginning of the winter holidays.

"Can't we stay until the summer holidays?" Gaoithe asked in disappointment. "Now that I'm getting better at Occlumency, I really love being here."

"Gaoithe, we think that it would be better for you to return to our own time at least for a few months. During the winter holidays in the future, we can come back here for the second half of your first year, and if you want to further continue your studies here in the past, you can come back again the following summer," Severus explained. "We believe that it wouldn't be good for you to be away from your normal life for more than six months at one time."

"That's cool," Gaoithe agreed. "That way I can attend Hogwarts in the future and here. May I tell Ceridwen and Gawain about it?" His parents agreed, and a few days before the beginning of the winter holidays, he invited his two friends into his own room and told them the truth. To his great relief, his friends believed him immediately, although they seemed very sad upon hearing that he was going to return to the future.

"It doesn't have to bother you, Gawain," Ceridwen said sadly. "When you come back from the holidays, Gaoithe should be back as well, although he'll be a few months older. But I'm going to stay here during the holidays. My parents are coming here as well, so I'm really going to miss Gaoithe.

"I'll ask my parents if we can come back a few days earlier," Gaoithe promised, smiling at the excited girl, after everyone else had returned home on the first day of the holidays.

"Take care of yourself," Ceridwen said softly, pulling him into a slight hug, before each of the Founders hugged him and told him that they were waiting for him to come back.

"Your quarters will always be reserved for you, so that you can come back at any time," Helga informed them gently, before the Founders accompanied them to Merlin House.

"That reminds me that the Sorting Hat told me that there was no Merlin House in this time, but Merlin House already exists," Gaoithe suddenly remembered to ask. "Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to come to the past at all."

"Merlin House exists. We thought about having it for the students who didn't fit in any of our four main Houses," Helga explained gently. "However, Merlin and Salazar just can't get along. They're fighting all the time, and until now they haven't managed to agree on activating the House, which they have to do before asking Godric to charm Sopho accordingly."

"I hope they'll do something about it soon, because I like being in Merlin House in the future, although it's great to be in Hufflepuff here in the past. I can't wait to come back," Gaoithe told his Head of House, just when they reached the entrance to the fifth House.

"Take care of yourself, sweetie, and I'm looking forward to seeing you again in two weeks' time. You already belong to our House, and I wouldn't want to miss you," Helga told him, pulling him into a slight embrace, until Ceridwen gently pushed her sister aside and hugged Gaoithe as well.

This time, Minerva and Severus allowed Gaoithe to flash them upstairs, so that the travel only lasted a few minutes.

風の力を持つハリー

It took Gaoithe a few days to get used to being back in the future. Even if he spent much time with Neville, since the boy searched his company because he was uncertain about how to behave around his parents, he dearly missed Ceridwen and Gawain. '_No one else has such a bright smile as Ceridwen_,' he mused, while he worked on his holiday assignments, which he had received in the past.

"Gaoithe," Severus' voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Do you have time to speak with us for a few minutes?"

"Of course," Gaoithe replied, closing his book, before he looked at the adults in expectation.

"Minerva and I are planning to get married in two weeks' time," Severus explained hesitantly, but before he could say more, Gaoithe interrupted him.

"Oh Dad, that's so cool," he blurted out. "In two weeks? That's very sudden. What do we have to do? Is there anything I can help?"

The two adults smiled. "Thank you, Gaoithe," Minerva said warmly. "I'm very happy that it seems to be all right with you."

"Of course," Gaoithe replied in surprise, "why wouldn't it?"

"The house-elves are arranging for everything," Severus explained. "We hope that the weather will be all right, so that we can have the ceremony out on the grounds; otherwise, the elves will prepare a huge tent."

"But everyone is on holidays. Isn't that a bit sad?" Gaoithe queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh believe me, we don't need a few hundreds of dunderheads on our wedding," Severus replied, smirking. "You are free to invite your friends if you wish though. Other than that only our colleagues and the Longbottoms will attend.

"Who is going to hold the ceremony?" Gaoithe asked curiously, only to chuckle when Severus told him that the Headmaster was going to do them the favour. "Be careful that he gives you rings and not lemon drops," he chuckled. "And are you going to go on a honeymoon afterwards?"

"Our colleagues are arranging something for the three of us," Severus replied, glancing at Minerva.

"The three of us?" Gaoithe asked in disbelief. "I won't go on your honeymoon."

"Why not?" Severus asked in surprise. "You belong to us. We're your parents."

"I know that, but still..." Gaoithe trailed off.

"Shall I ask Alice if you can stay with them for the week then?" Minerva asked gently.

"Oh no," Gaoithe groaned. "Please, just let me stay here at home."

"Gaoithe, you're only eleven," Severus spoke up, sighing. "I don't like the idea of having you here at home just on your own for a whole week. "I know that Professor Pomfrey is only two doors away, and she promised to stay over the whole holidays to be here for the Longbottoms, but still..." He scrunched his face in thought.

"Dad," Gaoithe asked hesitantly, "if you don't want me to be alone, could I perhaps invite the twins to come and stay with me for the week?" To his immense relief, his parents grudgingly agreed.

風の力を持つハリー

"Take care of yourself, Gaoithe," Minerva said softly, before she hugged him and kissed him on his forehead.

"And behave yourself," Severus added dryly, kissing his son as well, before he glanced at the twins. "The same goes for you, Messrs. Weasley."

"Ah Professor..."

"...Would we do anything else?" the twins replied, chuckling, causing the Potions Master to glare at them.

"It's all right, Dad," Gaoithe said, smiling. "Have fun, the two of you."

"It's surprising that your parents agreed to let us stay with you," George said to Gaoithe later in the evening. The Snapes had left for their honeymoon, and the Weasleys, who had been invited to attend the wedding ceremony, had returned home, except for the twins.

"They seem to think that we don't do anything but pull you into trouble," Fred agreed.

Gaoithe chuckled. "Dad probably believes that your presence is better than that of Fawkes, and he's afraid that I'd play pranks with Fawkes if you weren't here."

"Oh well, speaking of pranks..."

"... maybe it's time to explore Merlin House a bit more," the twins suggested, grinning mischievously.

"That's true. It has been ages since I spoke with the animals the last time. Oh, by the way, there was that box in the Safe Room in Merlin House. Merlin didn't tell me what was in it, so perhaps we should go and take a look," Gaoithe replied, suddenly becoming very excited.

The three friends decided to explore the Merlin cellar in the morning, since it was already late and Professor Pomfrey had promised her colleagues that she would check if they were back home by ten o'clock every evening. To Gaoithe's relief, Marlin was in a good mood and opened the door to the cellar as soon as he asked him, and the three friends strode downstairs.

"Alina's Safe Room," Gaoithe uttered the password, and the door to the Safe Room opened. "Be careful," he admonished the twins, who eagerly began to open the small box.

Fred pulled out a parchment that looked very old, and when he carefully unfolded it, the three friends gasped simultaneously. It was a map. '_What map is that?_' Gaoithe thought in confusion, noticing that most parts of the map were covered with small corridors and rooms without any description.

"Here!" George blurted out and pointed to a small dot that was labelled '_HERE_'.

"Oh, if that's where we are, this must be the stairs leading up to the common room," Fred stated, trying to search for any other known place on the map.

"This seems to be a map of the Merlin dungeons," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "Here, this one seems to be the staircase to the past." The instant he pointed to the map, the writing, '_Staircase of Time_,' appeared on the parchment.

"Oh cool," Geoge commented, "and what is this?" He pointed to the small room that was next to the Safe Room; however, the spot, where the room was, remained void of any writing.

"Hmmm, apparently it only labels the places, of which we know what they are," Fred said in disappointment. "Why don't we leave this place and take the map with us? Maybe we'll be able to discover any new room or something."

George and Gaoithe agreed, and the three friends left the Safe Room, just when they heard very strange sounds coming from the other side of the corridor that made them turn back into the Safe Room quickly.

"What was that?" Gaoithe asked, terrified.

The twins exchanged a confused look. "An animal?" Fred queried.

"No, that was more..." George slowly trailed off, seeing his twin and Gaoithe turn their heads towards the door.

Cackling laughter could be heard from outside the door, right before Ghost Merlin swept into the room.

"Oh Merlin, did you have to scare us like that?" Gaoithe asked in annoyance.

"Aww, were the three little kids scared?" Merlin chuckled, sweeping around the room.

"I didn't think you were an annoyance like Peeves," George said, staring at the ghost.

"Don't compare me with that good for nothing idiot. He's nothing like me," Merlin replied with a hint of anger in his voice, before he relented, "Oh well, you could say that he is a good friend of mine."

"Well then perhaps you can help us," Gaoithe said, holding out the map. "Can you tell us what these rooms are?"

The ghost chuckled. "Oh, you should know by now that Merlin House is full of surprises and secrets. I'll only tell you one now. The others are for the animals in the tapestry to tell. Or maybe I'll give you more information in the future. Follow me." He led them further down the dungeon corridor, and Gaoithe realised in amazement that all of a sudden, another door appeared on the left hand side. "This is the control room, which my first Merlin students built with my help. I hope that it's still intact and fully functionally. Anyway, have fun." With that the ghost laughed again and disappeared through the wall.

The three friends exchanged a surprised look. "Will you let us into Merlin's control room please?" Gaoithe nicely asked the door that opened instantly and without making any noise.

The room was completely empty; however, the wall on one of the larger sides was completely covered by a huge map.

"That's Hogwarts..."

"It looks like the Marauders' Map..."

"... even the small dots for the people are on it," the twins spoke up in surprise.

"Yeah, but it also has Merlin House and some of the unused parts of the castle," Gaoithe said thoughtfully, pointing to the wall on their right side. "What do these buttons do?"

The wall to the right was covered with buttons, displaying doors, walls, windows and several other small items on tiny pictures. Further to the right were buttons with the names of the five Houses.

"This looks interesting, but do you have an idea how to operate this game or whatever it is?" Gaoithe queried, looking expectantly at the twins, just when Merlin swept into the room.

"How do you like my control game?" he asked eagerly.

"It looks very similar to the map of Hogwarts, which Gaoithe's parents made," Fred spoke up.

"But it would be good if you could tell us how to use it," his brother said, giving the ghost an expecting look.

"I think Peeves is the only one knowing about this grand piece of art," Merlin said thoughtfully, looking at the boys in surprise, when they let out a collective groan.

"So Peeves must have helped the Marauders," Gaoithe said, chuckling. "Considering that, the map is really well done though."

Merlin explained that they had to point their wands at the objects they wanted to be displayed, for example if they pointed it to the Slytherin button and then to the map, only the Slytherin students would be displayed. However, if they, for example, wanted to add a window at a random spot on the wall, they had to tap the window button and then the spot where they wanted to put it.

"And it will really appear in the wall? Not only on the map?" Gaoithe asked doubtfully.

"Wow, that's too cool," George blurted out.

"So that means that if we want to stop Dumbledore walking on that corridor," Fred said, pointing to the map, "we have to do this." He tapped the wall button with his wand, before he turned around and slowly pointed his wand to the corridor, where they could see the small dot labelled 'Albus Dumbledore' walk.

George and Gaoithe gasped, while Merlin began to laugh in his cackling voice and left again, causing Gaoithe to feel even more nervous as in the ghost's presence.

Instants later, a wall appeared right in front of the Headmaster, whose dot remained unmoving for a few minutes, before he seemed to have given up and returned in the direction from which he had come earlier.

'_Oh no; we're going to be in so much trouble_,' Gaoithe thought, terrified, while Fred and George roared with laughter. "It's all right, Gaoithe," they reassured him. "No one can know that it was us, and it opens so many possibilities for new pranks; this is just a gold mine for the dynamic prankster."

Seeing that the Headmaster returned to his office, Fred tapped the button right next to the wall button with his wand, before he pointed his wand to the wall, which he had created earlier, and the wall disappeared immediately. "We should do that a few times; Dumbledore will think he's hallucinating," he chuckled.

"They'll quickly realise that it was us, if you play more pranks during the holidays," Gaoithe said thoughtfully.

"We won't do anything more today," George reassured him. "Let's take the opportunity to plan a nice prank for the beginning of the school year though. I already have a brilliant idea how to prank one or more of the professors."

Fred suddenly began to chuckle and tapped his wand at the window button, before he pointed it to one of the castle's walls, causing a window to appear. He repeated the process a few times, and the two others observed in amazement how he changed the walls of an apparently windowless room into huge windows.

"And where might that be?" George queried, looking at his brother in surprise.

"If I'm right, it must be Trelawney's classroom," Fred replied solemnly, glancing at Gaoithe. "Do you know her? She's an absolute fraud."

"I don't know her well, since she hardly ever comes out of her classroom or quarters, but my parents told me a few things about her," Gaoithe replied. "Maybe we should play Professor Sinistra a prank and exchange all of her windows with walls," he mused aloud, causing the twins to nod eagerly.

"Good idea, we still have to get back to her because of the detention we had to serve last year," Fred said, and the three mischief-makers skimmed the map for the Astronomy classroom and changed the room according to Gaoithe's plan.

"Maybe Sinistra and Trelawney have to change classrooms," the twins chuckled.

The three friends decided that they had played enough pranks for the time being, and Gaoithe quickly flashed the twins back to the Snapes' quarters, where the three children innocently worked on their summer assignments, until it was time to head to the Great Hall for lunch.

However, when they reached the entrance hall, they noticed in surprise that all doors to the Great Hall had completely vanished.

"Oh no; I'm sure that was Merlin," Gaoithe groaned. "I didn't know that ghosts were able to do magic though."

"They can..."

"... at least Peeves can..."

"...but he is a Poltergeist and as that a bit different from Merlin," the twins said thoughtfully.

"Oh well, shall I flash us inside?" Gaoithe suggested, just when their Head of House appeared in the entrance hall.

"What happened here?" Pomfrey asked in surprise.

"Perhaps..."

"We have no idea, Professor," the twins quickly interrupted Gaoithe.

"Perhaps I should flash all of us inside," Gaoithe said, smirking at the twins, and transformed into his phoenix form.

Instants later, everyone was gathered in the Great Hall. To their surprise, even from inside the Great Hall, they couldn't see any doors. '_We can't give us away_,' Gaoithe thought and just like the twins listened innocently to the teachers' musings about what could have happened, especially when the Headmaster flashed into the Hall with Fawkes and informed everyone about the wall that had suddenly appeared in one of the corridors that morning.

"If this was during the school year, I'd say it sounds like a prank," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "however, since no one is here who would do such a thing, we'll have to wait and see if anything else happens."

"We were in our quarters and worked on our summer assignments," Gaoithe said quietly, feeling several pairs of eyes turn to him at the Headmaster's words.

"I can second that," his Head of House spoke up quietly, causing the three friends to look at her, positively surprised. "The three of them were so engrossed in their studies, that they didn't even notice that I looked into the room a short while ago."

_tbc..._


	24. Chapter 24

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 24**

The remaining weeks of the holidays passed uneventful apart from Gaoithe's and Neville's birthday party, to which all of their classmates and the twins assembled in the Merlin common room on the 31st of July. Gaoithe and the twins told their friends about the Control Room; however, the Merlin students agreed to wait until at least the second week of the school year, before they were going to use it for any pranks.

After spending much time helping his father in the Potions lab as well as translating several of Salazar's books with potions recipes, Gaoithe was looking forward to leading a normal student's life for a change.

"Are you ready to return to Merlin House?" Minerva asked gently. "You know that you may as well stay here in your own room."

"I know; thank you," Gaoithe replied gratefully and smiled. "May I flash to Hogsmeade to meet my friends at the station?"

"I you promise to be careful, you may," Minerva told the excited boy.

Gaoithe flashed to the corridor in front of the hospital wing, where he transformed back and knocked at the Longbottoms' door to invite Neville, who happily agreed to join him. Together with Hermione and Draco, they rode a carriage back to the castle.

"I hope the Hat will sort nice students into Merlin House this year," Gaoithe said thoughtfully when he walked into the Great Hall together with his friends.

From the Merlin table, Gaoithe and his friends observed the Sorting ceremony with excitement. The Hat sorted six boys into their House, who seemed all very friendly, but Gaoithe inwardly groaned, when the Hat sent Luna Lovegood to their table. However, he did not show any emotion, in contrary to Ronald Weasley, who angrily let out a harsh comment, when his sister Ginny was sorted into Merlin House as well.

"You are the one who is a shame for the family, Ronniekins..."

"... and not Ginny," the twins replied to Ron's words in voices that could well be heard throughout the Great Hall.

風の力を持つハリー

Only when the Sorting ceremony was over, the Merlins took the time to let their eyes wander around the Great Hall.

"Professor Quirrell is back," Hermione spoke up in surprise. "Is he all right?" She looked at Gaoithe questioningly.

"He seems to be a bit uncertain but otherwise all right," Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. "He came back about two weeks ago, and of course I only met him at the mealtimes, but he seemed fairly normal. I'm not sure how much he remembers of being possessed or if he, for example, is aware of the fact that he tried to kill me."

"You better be careful, Gaoithe," Neville said firmly. "Your father is a brilliant Defence teacher, and if Professor Quirrell makes any difficulties, I'd prefer to be taught by your father again."

Gaoithe thanked his friend, glad that Neville had been able to overcome the fear of his father, which he had developed during their Potions class at the beginning of their first year.

風の力を持つハリー

The first two Defence Against the Dark Arts classes passed completely normal for the second year students. However, when they approached the Defence classroom on Monday morning of the second week of classes, the doors to the classroom as well as to the professor's office had vanished.

'_Oh no, that must have been Merlin again_,' Gaoithe thought. '_Couldn't he choose to play such a prank on Dad or Minerva or at least not on Quirrell, who seems so uncertain about everything anyway?_' He quietly spoke with Hermione and asked, "Do you think I should flash to the Control Room and put the doors into place, or should I flash inside to fetch the professor, in case he is in his office or in the classroom?"

"You better flash to the room and put the doors back," Hermione whispered back.

"It'll take some time to find the room on the map though. Can you come with me?" Gaoithe asked hesitantly.

Hermione agreed, and Gaoithe flashed them into the cellar of Merlin House, not expecting what they saw when they closely examined the map.

"Gaoithe, I can't see any doors," Hermione blurted out. "Are you sure that they're displayed on the map at all?"

"Of course," Gaoithe replied in confusion. "The last time I saw the map, every room had its door, just like it's supposed to be, which means that Merlin took all of the classroom doors as well as the office doors off. Look here, the doors to the teachers' private quarters are still there."

The two second-years were torn between laughter and annoyance as they observed the groups of students wait in front of their respective classrooms, while the teachers were captured in their offices or their classrooms. Some of them remained unmoving, while others paced the floor in front of the spot, where the door was supposed to be. Gaoithe sighed as he pulled his wand and pointed it at the door button on the right wall. He began to insert the doors into the map to their right positions, beginning with the Potions and the Transfiguration classrooms and ending with the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, before he motioned Hermione to grab his tail feathers, transformed and hurriedly flashed them in front of the classroom.

'_I'll have to exchange a word with Merlin later on_,' he thought as he slipped into the chair between Blaise and Neville. '_Maybe he did something like that to Slytherin, which could have been the reason for his imprisonment_.'

Before he could further follow that thought, he became distracted when Professor Quirrell spoke up. "The class is nearly over and it doesn't make sense to begin practising now. You're dismissed, and I'm going to inform the Headmaster about my retirement."

The students were too stunned to reply immediately, and before they had really understood what the teacher was implying, Professor Quirrell had already left the room and was on his way to the Headmaster's office.

"I'll go and speak with Dumbledore," Harry quickly said to Neville, before he transformed and flashed straight onto Fawkes' perch.

#Professor, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need to tell you something,# he trilled urgently. #I think it was Merlin, who played the prank with the doors, and he played it on the whole school, but Professor Quirrell doesn't know that and wants to retire. He is on his way here.#

Fawkes translated quickly, and the Headmaster was just about to offer the phoenix a lemon drop in confusion, when they heard the knock at the door. He gave Gaoithe a thoughtful look, before he called Quirrell in.

"Quirinus, my dear boy, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore queried, causing Gaoithe to inwardly chuckle.

'_It's always strange when he calls the teachers that, like he does with Dad_,' he thought when Fawkes suddenly asked, #Gaoithe, don't you have classes to attend?#

#Oh no, I completely forgot,# Gaoithe replied, groaning in annoyance at his own carelessness, especially as he recalled what class he had next. #I have Transfiguration. Sorry Headmaster, thank you Fawkes,# he trilled and hurriedly flashed to a small alcove near the Transfiguration classroom, where he transformed, noticing terrified that the classroom door was already closed. He hesitantly knocked and entered the classroom.

Before he could even apologize to Minerva, she said, "Five minutes late, Mr. Snape. Five points from Merlin House."

Gaoithe mumbled an apology and slipped into the seat next to Hermione, trying hard to fight the tears back that welled at the back of his eyes.

"Excuse me, Professor," Hermione spoke up and explained that Gaoithe had to flash to the Headmaster's office because of Professor Quirrell.

However, Gaoithe was so deep in thoughts that he completely missed the short conversation between Hermione and Minerva. '_I need to speak with Minerva and apologize to her after the last afternoon class_,' he thought. '_She'll understand when I explain everything_.'

However, Minerva did not return home in the afternoon. Gaoithe spent the hour between the last afternoon class and dinner in the living room, doing his homework. He was glad when Severus joined him, seeing that Gaoithe was at home, and it was nearly time for dinner, when he hesitantly asked, "Is Minerva not going to come home before dinner?"

"Gaoithe, I have no idea. Is something wrong?" Severus asked, looking at his son in surprise.

Gaoithe told him about the prank and Professor Quirrell, careful to not reveal the secret of the Control Room, causing Severus to frown. "I noticed at lunchtime that she was in a bad mood, but I don't think that it was because you were late for her class. Let's go to the Great Hall, and I'll ask her what's wrong and tell her that you want to speak with her."

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said gratefully.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe hesitantly took his seat at the Merlin table with his back towards the Head table. '_I better not watch them if Minerva is in a bad mood_,' he thought and addressed the twins, who were sitting on his left side. "I think we should talk to Merlin. He overdid it a bit this morning, don't you think so?" he whispered, wondering why the twins gave him an amused look but didn't immediately reply.

Finally, they said, "Well, let's speak with him later on."

'Gaoithe, can you come home for a moment after dinner?' his father suddenly thought to him.

'All right, Dad,' Gaoithe replied, suddenly noticing that his appetite was completely gone. He laid his fork down and excused himself, unaware of the concerned looks he received from his friends and his parents. He quietly left the Great Hall and transformed into his phoenix form to flash home. He had just finished his Transfiguration homework, when Severus and Minerva entered the room.

"Gaoithe, are you feeling all right?" Minerva asked right away, eyeing him in concern. "You left dinner extremely early."

"I'm fine," Gaoithe replied softly. "I'm sorry for being late for your class this morning."

Minerva sighed. "Professor Dumbledore told me that you came to warn him about Professor Quirrell's retirement. I'm sorry for taking points from your House."

"Does Albus think it means that the charm the Dark Lord cast on the Defence position is still unbroken?" Severus queried, absentmindedly running a hand through his silky hair.

"No, he thinks that it is broken, since Quirinus stayed a week longer than one whole school year, and he didn't have to leave. He just felt very unsure and with the prank that was played on him this morning..."

"I was locked into my office too," Severus replied, sounding slightly upset. "Is that a reason to retire?"

"But Quirrell was locked in the whole first class," Gaoithe threw in, causing his parents to look at him questioningly. Gaoithe let out a long sigh and finally told his parents about the Control Room. "I let the two of you out first and Quirrell the latest, so that he wouldn't notice that I was gone," he explained.

"Merlin seems worse than Peeves," Minerva replied in an upset voice. "Gaoithe, please promise that you won't play such a prank on anyone."

"I won't," Gaoithe promised. "I'll only use the map to reverse pranks or to help the castle in case Death Eaters wanted to attack or cases like that."

"Minerva, don't tell me Albus is going to ask that fraud Lockhart to teach Defence," Severus spoke up thoughtfully. "I heard him speak about that a few weeks ago."

His wife let out a snort and said, "Albus suggested that; however, I didn't agree and told him my opinion. He is just arranging the matter I hope. I'll tell you as soon as I know more."

"Was that why you were in such a bad mood at lunchtime?" Severus asked softly, pulling Minerva into an embrace.

"No," Minerva chuckled. "I was in a bad mood because I wasn't feeling well like so often recently. So after my meeting with Albus, I went to see Poppy. That's why I didn't make it home before dinner, and that is what I wanted to tell both of you." Seeing that Severus and Gaoithe looked at her expectantly, she continued, "Next year, there are going to be four of us."

Gaoithe's and Severus' eyes widened. "Really?" Gaoithe asked, grinning. "That's too cool."

Minerva chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that. You're going to be a big brother."

The small family spent the evening talking about the matter and the events of the day, before Gaoithe returned to the Merlin common room at curfew, and Minerva was called to the Headmaster's office once again. Gaoithe put his book bag into his dormitory, glad that he had already finished his homework, and flashed straight to the seventh year boys' dormitory, where he could sense the ghost.

"Merlin, I need to talk to you," he said firmly. "I think that you overdid it a bit with the prank that you played this morning. It's your fault that Professor Quirrell retired, and I don't know..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the ghost replied and left straight through the wall, leaving Gaoithe to wonder if the twins had fooled him.

'_I need to speak with them again_,' he thought; however, when he returned to the common room, he quickly forgot about the matter.

風の力を持つハリー

Ginny was sitting alone in one corner of the common room, deeply engrossed in writing into a book, while all the other students were sitting class-wise, doing their homework, playing or talking. From time to time, everyone else was shooting strange looks at the first year.

'_That's odd_,' Gaoithe thought, absentmindedly nodding when the twins cornered him and led him into the nearest dormitory.

"Gaoithe, can you transform into a fly and sit on Ginny's shoulder to see what she's doing?" Fred asked in apparent concern.

"Something is weird with her, but we don't know what it is," George added.

"I can't spy on your sister," Gaoithe refused weakly, looking from one to the other.

"And if we ask you nicely," the twins insisted.

"Very well then, if you take me there and help me if she tries to kill me," Gaoithe replied, sighing, and obediently changed into a fly. The twins gave him a ride, and he flew behind Ginny, unobtrusively sitting on her shoulder, hoping that she wasn't able to feel him through her clothes.

However, Ginny was much too engrossed in her new diary to take notice of as much as a normal fly, and she eagerly continued to write, before she paused for a moment.

From his spot on her shoulder, Gaoithe read what she was writing.

'_I am in Merlin House. It's the fifth House at Hogwarts, and my friend Gaoithe discovered it last year_.'

To his surprise, the diary replied. '_I don't know Merlin House. When I was at Hogwarts, there were only four Houses, but I know a place within the castle that no one else knows. Do you want to accompany me there?_'

Gaoithe could see how the edges of Ginny's mouth stretched to a smile when she wrote back, '_Tom, I'd love to go, but it's already after curfew. Can we go tomorrow?_'

'_I'll take you there tomorrow_,' the diary promised.

'_Tom?_' Gaoithe wondered. '_Who is Tom?_' To his disappointment, Pomfrey just entered the common room, and Ginny quickly closed the diary. Gaoithe hurriedly left his spot, flew around the next corner and transformed back into his human form. He considered asking the professor if he could go home to speak with his parents for a few minutes, but he dismissed the thought, resolving that he would like to see where the diary or the person called Tom would take Ginny. '_I'll spend the whole evening in the common room, so that I can spy on Ginny again_,' he resolved. '_I think something is not right with that book_.'

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Professor Dumbledore informed everyone that Professor Quirrell had resigned and left Hogwarts and that Frank Longbottom had agreed to become the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Wow, Neville, that's too cool," Gaoithe whispered to his friend, who was sitting on his right side. "Now your parents have a valid reason to remain at Hogwarts forever. I'm so happy for you."

"I'm glad, too. It's so nice to have parents, not only my granny," Neville whispered back, "and we can always spend the holidays together."

"How is your granny by the way?" Gaoithe queried, giving his friend a sharp look.

"She is fine. She recovered nicely and returned home a week ago. My parents offered that she could live with them, but she refused. She wants to live at home, but my parents don't want to go home yet. Apparently, Pomfrey and your parents are helping them a lot, and they don't feel confident to leave Hogwarts yet. Oh well, they don't have to anymore," he added, smiling.

"I think that was Minerva's idea," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "Cool."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe couldn't wait for the classes to end, because he was too curious where the diary was going to lead Ginny. He once again considered letting his father in on the matter; however, knowing that he was able to flash from and to everywhere within Hogwarts and that he could always mind think to Severus, he decided to wait and see what was going to happen. '_A place within Hogwarts that no one knows? Not even a phoenix?_' he thought, doubtfully. Not sure if Ginny would wait until the evening to open the strange book again, he returned to the common room right after his last afternoon class and told Hermione and Neville that he had to quickly run an errand.

"Gaoithe, you can't just run away every evening. We're now in second year, and we have to work more than during the last year," Hermione admonished him sternly as she pulled Neville to the table, where Susan and Mandy were already working on their homework.

"Yes I know, I'm sorry, I'll be back soon... I hope," Gaoithe replied in annoyance. '_Of course she's right, but this is important. The twins asked me to keep an eye on Ginny, and she seems really sweet_,' he thought as he transformed into a fly like the evening before. He felt very reassured when Ginny arrived and once again took her seat in the corner. As soon as he saw her open the black book, he carefully nestled down on her shoulder.

'_Hello Tom, are you there?_' Ginny wrote.

'_Of course I am here, Ginny_,' the diary wrote back.

'_Oh good. I'm back from my last afternoon class.'_

'_Welcome back. Do you want me to show you?_'

'_Yes please, I can't wait_.'

'_Then take the book with you and go to the girls' toilet on the first floor_,' the writing in the book said and continued, '_I'll take you to the secret place from there_.'

'_OK_,' Ginny wrote back. She pocketed the book and her quill and quietly left the common room, unaware of the fact that she was giving Gaoithe a ride.

Gaoithe considered leaving his comfortable spot on her shoulder, before she entered the girls' toilet; however, recalling that no one could recognise him in his current form, he dismissed the thought quickly. After entering the girls' toilet, Ginny pulled the book back out again and wrote that she had arrived in the bathroom. Instants later, a silver flash appeared that was so bright that Gaoithe had to close his eyes for an instant, and when he carefully opened them again, a boy of about sixteen years was standing in front of Ginny.

"Hi Ginny, I'm Tom," he told her, before he turned to one of the sinks and hissed in Parseltongue, "Open."

To Gaoithe's surprise, the sink transformed into an opening, and Tom stepped into the hole, motioning for Ginny to follow him. '_Oh no, I think I know where this leads, but why is he leading Ginny to Amaterasu?_' Gaoithe wondered as he carefully left Ginny's shoulder and flew down into Salazar's chamber behind the two humans.

"I'll show you something," Tom announced and called Amaterasu, who let out an angry hiss at his sight.

'_She must have met him before and doesn't overly like him_,' Gaoithe thought. '_To Dad and me she is always very friendly_.'

"Hello, Salazzzar's familiar. Do you recognisse me? I'm your new Massster," Tom hissed. "Now it'ss oncce again time to leave and get to the Muggle born studentsss. Kill them all."

Gaoithe quickly transformed into his basilisk form and hissed, "Amaterasssu, don't kill anyone. Stay here where it'ss safe for you and everyone elssse."

Amaterasu hissed back to Tom, "He isss my new Masster and good friend. I won't ever again lisssten to you. You're evil." With that she buried her fangs deep into Tom's skin until the boy collapsed unmoving on the floor.

"Don't hurt the girl. It'sss not her fault," Gaoithe informed his friend quickly and changed back into his human form to comfort Ginny, who had begun to cry. "Ginny, everything is all right. Please give me the book, so that I can hand it to my father and let him check it out. Obviously, something is not right with it." Turning to Amaterasu, he asked, "What are we going to do with him?"

"Jussst leave him here. I'll take him into the foresst for the animals to have a party. You look after the girl. Come to ssee me again ssoon," Amaterasu replied gently.

Gaoithe thanked her and motioned for Ginny to grab his tail feathers, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed back into the bathroom, where he closed the entrance to the chamber. "Let's go and speak with my parents about it," he suggested to Ginny, who was still seemingly shocked about the happenings.

Ginny gave him a frightened look. "It's my fault," she said in a small voice. "I shouldn't have written into the book. I don't even know where I got it from. It was together with my school books, but Tom was very nice, and so I continued writing. Your parents will think I'm absolutely stupid."

"No, they won't," Gaoithe replied soothingly, glad that she didn't even question from where he had arrived to help her all of a sudden. He flashed them straight to his own room and gently led Ginny into the living room, where both his parents were working. He pulled Ginny onto the sofa with him and quickly explained what had happened, ending, "I have no idea who Tom was, but Amaterasu killed him."

"I'm sorry. I was very stupid," Ginny said in a barely audible voice.

"No, you weren't. You couldn't know that Tom was evil and what was going to happen," Gaoithe said softly, and Minerva nodded.

"Well, it was indeed stupid to trust a person that suddenly appeared out of a book," Severus said sternly.

"That must have been Tom Riddle," Minerva threw in thoughtfully, "the later Lord Voldemort."

"The Dark Lord?" Severus gasped, reaching for the book. "Give it to me please. I have to take this to the Headmaster."

When Severus left to speak with the Headmaster about the black book, Minerva informed Pomfrey that the Headmaster and Severus as well as Gaoithe, Ginny and herself would be absent from dinner. Afterwards, she called Malcolm and asked him to serve dinner for the three of them in their quarters, noticing that Ginny still seemed to be shocked about what had happened.

"Gaoithe, can you please promise that you won't speak with anyone about what happened?" Ginny asked pleadingly when they had finished dinner, during which McGonagall had tried to lead the conversation to other topics as well as possible.

"I promise," Gaoithe said hesitantly. "However, I'd appreciate it if you informed the twins. They were the ones who asked me to keep an eye on you in my Animagus form. They seemed to be very concerned."

"The twins are great brothers," Ginny replied, smiling. "I'll think about it."

風の力を持つハリー

From that time onwards, Ginny and Gaoithe became close friends, and Ginny often sat between Gaoithe and the twins at the Merlin table, which did not go well with her brother Ron. He had always been jealous of Gaoithe because of being the twins' friend, being in Merlin and living at Hogwarts together with his father; however, the fact that Ginny had also been sorted into Merlin and had apparently become friends with Gaoithe as well was driving him over the edge. He spent a few weeks to carefully plan how to really hurt Gaoithe, which was not easy, since the boy was brilliant at Potions and was able to transform into a phoenix and flash away easily if he was in danger.

It was a few weeks before Christmas, when the Gryffindor versus Merlin Quidditch match took place, that Ron finally decided to act. Often enough he had jealously observed his Merlin classmate play Seeker, and he had not only much experience with Quidditch due to playing Quidditch at home with his siblings, but he was an excellent planner and could easily tell in advance which moves Gaoithe was going to make next.

Although the air was ice-cold on this Saturday morning, and the grounds were frozen and hart, the weather was fantastic, and the whole school was gathered on the grounds. Sitting in the last row of the Gryffindor stands, Ron observed the match with his wand gripped firmly in his hand, and as soon as he noticed that Gaoithe was beginning his usual diving manoeuvre, he unobtrusively waved his wand in an easy movement, which he had secretly practised during the last weeks.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe was enjoying himself greatly. It was a wonderful day for a Quidditch match, and since Merlin had not lost one single match so far, he hoped to be able to once again catch the Snitch before the Gryffindor Seeker. He finally spotted the beautiful golden ball and began to dive, which he always did before catching the Snitch in order to distract his opponent. However, when he was a few metres over the ground, seconds before he had to push his broom upwards in full speed, the Quidditch pitch suddenly began to sparkle in various colours. It looked beautiful, but Gaoithe felt distracted for an instant and only managed to pull up instants before he would have hit the ground.

'_What's that?_' he thought as he flew upwards, noticing in annoyance that the Snitch had disappeared while he was distracted.

Fortunately, the other Seeker hadn't seen the Snitch either, and after another hour of intense search, Gaoithe managed to finally catch the struggling golden ball.

"Merlin wins 360 – 160," Madam Hooch announced, and Gaoithe sighed in relief.

'_Thank Merlin I managed to catch the Snitch. I was about to crash into the grounds earlier_,' he thought as he slowly descended, escorted by the twins.

"Gaoithe," the twins whispered and pulled him aside. "We think we know what happened to the grounds earlier."

Gaoithe let his eyes wander around the Quidditch pitch that was already completely back to normal, before he looked at the twins in surprise.

"We noticed that our brother Ron was sitting all on his own in the last row..."

"... and the grounds began to sparkle right when you going into your traditional dive," the twins explained, quietening immediately, when Hermione and Ginny approached them and pulled Gaoithe into bear hugs.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" Hermione asked, eyeing him critically.

"Of course. It's just a bit cold here, and I'd love to go and take a shower," Gaoithe replied, grinning to completely destroy the girls' apparent concern.

"We do the same, and afterwards, we all meet in the seventh year boys' dormitory," the twins cheered, pulling Gaoithe with them into the changing rooms.

風の力を持つハリー

The party in Merlin House was joyful and loud and didn't even end when Pomfrey looked into the room at the beginning of curfew and told them to end their party and go to bed. "Congratulations to your victory, by the way," she said, smiling. "I'm very proud of you."

"Ah but Professor," the twins said mischievously, "you just have to drink one butterbeer with us. The Founders are there as well and want to speak with you."

It was already midnight, when the Merlins finally returned to their dormitories, and Gaoithe decided to sleep at home, because he had promised his parents to come home first thing in the morning on Sunday.

It was nearly lunchtime, when Severus woke him up. "After lunch, Minerva and I would speak with you about something," he said softly, making Gaoithe wonder what could be wrong.

'_I think I really behaved well this school year_,' he mused as he readied himself to have lunch together with his parents in their small kitchen. '_Maybe it's about the holidays. I wonder when they want to go to the past. On the one hand, I'd love to leave as soon as possible, but on the other hand, I'd love to have a few days without any classes_.'

However, when Minerva, Severus and Gaoithe took their seats in their favourite spots in the living room an hour later, Gaoithe was shocked when Severus said hesitantly, "Gaoithe, we can't go to the past during these holidays, at least not Minerva and I." Seeing that Gaoithe looked at him in shock, he explained, "Yesterday, Minerva had a check-up with Professor Pomfrey, and she forbade her to time travel as long as she is pregnant. It could harm her and the baby, and I'm sure you don't want that..."

"Of course not," Gaoithe quickly interrupted his father.

"If you want to spend the holidays in the past, I will take you there and come back here," Severus offered thoughtfully. "Otherwise, we can go in the summer, after the baby is born."

"Let's do that," Gaoithe agreed immediately. "I won't go without the two of you. Oh sorry, three," he corrected himself, grinning at Minerva. "Um... May I stay at home during the holidays?"

Minerva and Severus looked at him in shock. "Gaoithe, why do you even ask?" Minerva asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry, that was a stupid question," Gaoithe replied, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "I thought you might be busy with preparations for the baby or such," he said lamely.

Severus rolled his eyes, but Minerva replied in a soft voice, "We thought that you might help us with that. One kind of preparation that we have to deal with and didn't manage yet is to find a name for the baby."

"Do you already know what it's going to be?" Gaoithe asked excitedly. '_I'm not sure, which I'd like more, a brother or a sister. Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter_,' he thought, completely missing Severus' reply.

"By the way," Severus suddenly changed the topic. "Do you have an idea what happened during the Quidditch match yesterday?"

"You mean why the grounds began to sparkle?" Gaoithe shrugged. "According to the twins, it was their brother Ron, but I'm not exactly sure why. At first I was angry at whoever did it, because I was so distracted that I let the Snitch escape, but since everything went well in the end..." He slowly trailed off.

"Gaoithe, that was extremely dangerous. You could have crashed into the grounds, hurting yourself badly," Severus replied sternly.

"Well, if it was indeed Ronald Weasley, I'm going to have a word in this," Minerva spoke up in an upset voice, before she turned to Yuki and asked softly, "Would you please be so kind and fetch the Weasley twins?"

Yuki, who had been sitting on her perch, cleaning her wing feathers, let out a happy trill and flashed away with a small splash of ice.

"She's getting better now that she practises flashing to Fawkes' place and back several times a day," Gaoithe chuckled, wiping a small piece of ice from his cheek.

Instants later, Yuki returned with the twins in tow, and Minerva began to interrogate the two boys, who explained that they had practised that exact spell during the summer holidays and it was likely that Ron picked it up at that time.

"That would explain why he was sitting all on his own and not together with Mr. Finnegan and Mr. Thomas as usual," Minerva said thoughtfully, giving Severus a questioning look.

"Minerva, this is not a harmless prank. If he indeed cast the spell, he did it to harm Gaoithe," Severus said sternly. "Gaoithe, can you please get your map and look where Mr. Weasley is, so that Minerva can fetch him. We'll continue this conversation in the Headmaster's office. Messrs. Weasley, you do not have to accompany us, if you don't want your brother to know who alerted us that it could be him who attacked Gaoithe."

"It's all right, Professor. We will go with Gaoithe," the twins replied simultaneously.

"Dad, he is in the Gryffindor common room, together with a Peter Pettigrew, whoever that is," Gaoithe said in confusion as he returned to the living room.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Minerva and Severus queried simultaneously. "That is impossible. He is dead," Minerva added, exchanging a surprised look with her husband.

Severus leaned over the map and shook his head. "The map is faulty," he said firmly.

"Anyway, I'm going to fetch Mr. Weasley," Minerva said in determination and stood up.

"I'll flash you in front of the Gryffindor common room," Gaoithe offered and hurriedly transformed.

風の力を持つハリー

Twenty minutes later, Molly and Arthur Weasley arrived through the Floo in the Headmaster's office, glancing in surprise at Minerva, Severus, Gaoithe and their three youngest boys.

"Oh Minerva, I just hope the twins didn't hurt anyone too badly," Mrs. Weasley blurted out, taking in the stern faces.

"No, it wasn't the twins, and no one is hurt," Dumbledore replied and ushered the Weasleys to the two remaining seats, before he slowly explained what had happened on the previous day. "I just checked Ronald's wand, and the spell was indeed cast from his wand," he finished his explanation in a grave voice.

"Thank Merlin Gaoithe was able to pull up in spite of being distracted," the twins threw in simultaneously, glaring at Ron.

Noticing that his wife was about to cry, Mr. Weasley turned to his youngest son. "Ronald, please tell us why you did such a thing? Didn't you consider that Gaoithe could crash into the ground and become gravely harmed?"

Ron remained quiet, looking at the floor in front of him.

"Molly, Arthur, may I ask for your permission to question Ronald under Veritaserum?" Severus finally spoke up after a few minutes of absolute silence.

The Weasleys exchanged a quick look, before they nodded affirmatively. However, before Severus could administer the potion, Ron blurted out, "I wanted him to get hurt. He took everything from me, the twins and now even Ginny. He gets everything what he wants, because his parents are teachers and because of being in Merlin House." He slowly trailed off.

"Maybe we should take you out of the school and teach you at home, if you harbour such stupid thoughts," Mr. Weasley said pensively.

"Is that what you want?" his wife asked in an upset but still gentle voice.

"No," Ron uttered quietly.

"Will Ronald be allowed to remain at Hogwarts?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a soft voice, glancing anxiously from the Headmaster to Minerva.

"He will not be expelled at this time," Minerva relented, giving Mrs. Weasley a calming look.

"However, we cannot tolerate such behaviour," Severus said, giving Ron a deadly glare.

"Very well; Albus, in that case I'd like to ask you, Minerva and Severus to punish Ronald adequately," Mr. Weasley said firmly, and his wife nodded her agreement.

Seeing that everyone looked at her in expectation, Minerva let out a long sigh. "I suggest that he serves detention with Mr. Filch every evening until he takes his OWLs."

Seeing Ron look at the teacher in horror, Mrs. Weasley hissed, "Ronald, you can be very grateful that you aren't expelled."

'Dad, do you think it was all right if I suggested something?' Gaoithe thought to his father, who voiced his thoughts, causing everyone to look at Gaoithe in expectance.

"Of course, Gaoithe; please tell us your opinion," Minerva said softly, giving the boy an encouraging smile.

Gaoithe unsurely fixed his eyes on Minerva, who smiled at him encouragingly, before he hesitantly spoke up. "If I understood correctly, Ronald wanted me to get hurt; so I think maybe he could help those of our classmates, who are injured or sick, by taking notes for them. Detention with Filch seems a bit too harsh, especially as his prank didn't have any consequences."

Everyone remained quiet for an instant, before Minerva finally said, "I believe that is a very good idea. Maybe it is too gentle, but if you believe it adequate, I can accept it. Mr. Weasley, what do you think?"

Ron, who was still looking at the floor, nodded dully but glanced up when the Fred said sternly, "Ron, you must apologize to Gaoithe..."

"... And thank him for getting you out of your detentions," George added firmly.

Seeing that Ron remained unmoving, Mrs. Weasley rose from her seat and stepped over to Gaoithe, pulling him in a bear hug. "I'm so glad that you were all right, Gaoithe. Thank you so much for still being so kind to Ron."

"It's all right. Nothing happened," Gaoithe replied, feeling very uncomfortable at the embrace.

"You better apologize, Mr. Weasley, if you don't want to additionally serve detention with me," Severus sneered.

"Sorry," Ron uttered, before he stormed out of the classroom, causing Fawkes to let out a few very annoyed trills.

Gaoithe sighed in relief when they finally left the Headmaster's office. '_That was so embarrassing_,' he thought as he followed his parents to their quarters. '_I need to do something about Ron. Maybe Ginny and the twins can help me develop a plan that will give me the chance to know him better_.'

However, before Gaoithe could speak with the twins and Ginny, who were the only students remaining in Merlin House over the winter holidays, something happened that made him forget about the matter for a while.

_tbc..._


	25. Chapter 25

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 25**

It was on the first day of the holidays, when Minerva, Severus and Gaoithe were having tea in their living room, that Severus spoke up quietly. "Last night, the Headmaster called me. He told me that he had been working together with the elves and the goblins to do some research about Horcruxes." Seeing that Minerva and Gaoithe eyed him expectantly, he explained, "The diary, which for some reason found its way into Ms. Weasley's hands, contained a Horcrux of the sixteen-year-old Dark Lord. It was one part of his soul, which he must have buried in the diary when he was sixteen. The Headmaster, the goblins and the elves believe that the Dark Lord might have split his soul into several parts and buried them in various objects. He didn't explain how that is supposed to work though." He let out a long sigh.

"Why I am telling you this, Gaoithe, is because the Headmaster believes that the famous animals in Merlin House might be aware of a way to get rid of these dark objects. Fawkes must have told him that something happened several hundreds of years ago, and the animals were able to get rid of dark objects that had been hidden at Hogwarts. Anyway, Professor Dumbledore asked if you could speak with the animals about the matter." Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I can speak with them," Gaoithe replied eagerly. "I don't know if they'll be willing to share any information with me. Some of them are very stuck-up and difficult to handle."

Minerva calmingly laid her hand on his arm. "If anyone will be able to retrieve information from the animals, it will be you, Gaoithe. However, don't stress yourself out about the matter, and tell us if there is anything we can do to help. The twins should be able to help you, since they are in Merlin House as well."

"Please don't tell anyone about Horcruxes," Severus said sternly. "You should just speak about dark objects, which the twins will surely understand after what happened to their sister. And you will not do anything on your own but come to inform us or fetch us beforehand. Is that clear?"

"All right," Gaoithe agreed and promised, "I'll try to get some information in the morning."

風の力を持つハリー

Right after breakfast together with his parents, Gaoithe left Iro with his parents and stepped through the connecting door into the Merlin House common room. '_It's Christmas Eve_,' he mused, '_and the day after tomorrow, we're going to go to Prince Manor. That's going to be so cool, only the three of us, just like a real family_.'

"Heya Gaoithe..."

"... Are you awake or asleep?" the twins' voices greeted him, chuckling.

"Good morning. I'm awake," Gaoithe grinned. "There is something that I need to speak with you about." He let himself sink into one of the comfortable seats, and Ginny and the twins curiously gathered around him.

"Let's speak with Marlin..."

"... Maybe he knows something," the twins decided and jumped from their seats.

The three boys transformed into their Animagus forms and approached the animals in the tapestry. #Marlin, do you know anything about a method of getting rid of dark objects?# Gaoithe trilled to the phoenix, who interrupted flashing wildly through the tapestry and caned his neck towards the students.

Marlin thoughtfully cleaned his wing feathers, before he finally replied. #That's a very delicate question, young nestling. I suggest that you speak with the thestral. He is the expert in such matters.#

#The thestral?# Gaoithe looked around in confusion. #Excuse me, Marlin, but where is he? I'm not sure...#

#Maybe you can't see him, nestling. Transform into a thestral, and you'll be able to see him,# Marlin interrupted him, fluffing his feathers.

#But how can I transform into a thestral without even knowing what it looks like?# Gaoithe asked. All of a sudden, he felt desperate and strangely tired.

#Shall we go and ask your parents?#

#...They surely have a book with a thestral in it...#

#...They're the animals that pull the carriages,# the parrot twins told him.

Gaoithe agreed and led the twins and Ginny through the connecting door, where Severus showed them a picture of a thestral and once again admonished Gaoithe to take care of himself and not do anything dangerous.

Back in the common room, Gaoithe transformed into a thestral. '_Ah, there it is_,' he thought, looking at the older animal that was engaged in a conversation with the unicorn.

=I'm sorry to disturb you,= he hesitantly addressed the animals. =May I speak with you for a moment?=

=Hello little one,= the thestral replied, looking at him with wide eyes that narrowed as Gaoithe told him about the dark objects and asked if he could help him. =There are two rooms in the cellar of this House,= he finally spoke up, =the Dark Room, which can be used to summon dark objects from all over Britain, and the White Room. For the White Room you have to speak with my friend, the unicorn, though.=

Gaoithe conferred with the thestral and the unicorn for a few more minutes, before he nodded in understanding. =Thank you very much for your help, both of you,= he said gratefully.

=You better not cast the spell but ask an adult,= the unicorn advised him gently. =Your magic is not strong enough yet. The caster doesn't have to be a real Merlin; however, he or she has to be pure.=

Gaoithe stared at the unicorn in confusion. '_Dad will be out then because of his Dark Mark_,' he thought and asked hesitantly, =Would Professor McGonagall or Professor Pomfrey would be all right then? Or the Headmaster?=

=Either of them should be able; however, you need to lead them to the respective rooms,= the unicorn confirmed, smiling. =Good luck, my boy, and come back to keep us updated soon.=

Gaoithe transformed back into his phoenix form and further into his human form, before he told Ginny and the twins what he had learnt. Ginny cast him an anxious look as she spoke up hesitantly, "Gaoithe, I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this."

Gaoithe looked at the younger girl in apprehension. "It's all right, Ginny," he said in a soft voice. "I'm not going to do anything."

"Well, let's call your parents and our Head of House," George suggested, while Fred approached the portrait of the tortoise that opened immediately and allowed him to step into Pomfrey's office.

Gaoithe quickly went to fetch Minerva and Severus, before he explained to the three adults about his conversation with the thestral and the unicorn.

"Well, I won't be able to cast the spell," Severus said thoughtfully, "and I suppose that Poppy doesn't want Minerva to come near dark objects, right?" He glanced at the Merlin Head.

"Definitely not," Pomfrey replied sternly. "It could harm the baby greatly. I could try to cast the spell, or we could fetch Albus."

"We need to inform him in any case," Severus agreed and called the Headmaster.

A few minutes later, Professor Dumbledore entered the Merlin common room and made himself comfortable on one of the sofas, offering a round of lemon drops for everyone. '_As if this was the time to eat lemon drops_,' Gaoithe thought in annoyance as he hesitantly followed the twins' example and took one of the sweets in order not to attract any attention.

After listening to what Severus told him about Gaoithe's findings, the Headmaster offered to cast the first spell that would summon all dark objects into the Dark Room. At the same time, he suggested that Pomfrey should cast the second spell, which was going to transfer everything from the Dark Room into the White Room, where the objects were going to be purified.

Seeing that Marlin seemed to be asleep, Gaoithe transformed into a unicorn and asked the unicorn in the tapestry to open the door to the cellar.

=Of course, sweetie; I will let you in, but please tell everyone to be careful. It's not good to mess with dark objects,= the unicorn advised him gently.

=Thank you. I'll tell them,= Gaoithe replied and proceeded to lead the small group downstairs.

'There are three new doors since we came here the last time,' Severus voice penetrated Gaoithe's mind as they turned from the stairs into the small corridor. Fortunately, the Dark Room was just next to the Safe Room, so that Gaoithe didn't have to reply. He touched the door to the Dark Room that opened on the touch like the thestral had promised. The room was just a normal looking Merlin cellar room, merely consisting of the surrounding stone walls and void of any furniture or other items. He carefully closed the door again and opened that to the White Room.

To everyone's surprise, the White Room was decorated with several wooden bars and ladders, and a magical window was decorating one of the walls. The room was also strangely warm in comparison to the other cellar rooms. '_I wonder what this room does_,' Gaoithe thought as the group slowly returned to the common room.

"Messrs. Weasley, would the two of you be so kind and accompany Professor Pomfrey and me and open the doors for us?" Dumbledore asked gently, and the twins nodded eagerly.

"I can..." Gaoithe spoke up, but his father interrupted him firmly.

"No Gaoithe, you will remain here with Minerva, Ms. Weasley and me."

Only very grudgingly agreeing, Gaoithe sat on the sofa next to Minerva after holding the cellar door open for the others. '_Well, Dad is right. It doesn't have to be me all the time_,' he thought. '_On the other hand, it's unsettling not to be able to watch what happens_.'

"Gaoithe, did the thestral or the unicorn say something about how long it might take for all the dark objects to be summoned?" Ginny asked curiously, causing Gaoithe to frown.

"I have no idea. No, they didn't say anything." Gaoithe looked questioningly at Minerva and his father.

"I suppose that it's going to be quick," Severus replied, glancing at his wrist watch, before he suddenly gasped, threw a terrified look at Gaoithe and mumbled something incomprehensible as he dashed towards the cellar door.

Only an instant later, Gaoithe let out a scream and was whisked away within seconds.

"Severus!" Minerva shouted after her husband in shock.

Severus turned on his heels. "Minerva, Gaoithe is in mortal peril," he said, terrified, "and it's too late. He was probably summoned to the Dark Room as well. Apparently, the Dark Lord must have buried a Horcrux in Gaoithe when he killed his parents. What can we do to help him? Anyway, I'm going to go and see if I can do anything."

"I'll come with you," Minerva said in determination.

"No Minerva, I'm not going to endanger another child today. Stay here." With that Severus turned around and strode towards the cellar, not even realising that Marlin kindly opened the door for him.

"Let me in," he demanded towards the twins, who were standing in the corridor in front of the Dark Room and the adjacent White Room, where Pomfrey was just performing the spell that was supposed to transfer the dark objects and purify them.

"No Severus, you can't go into the Dark Room," the Headmaster said firmly. "We closed the door as soon as the dark objects began to arrive. It would be dangerous to get inside."

"I don't care. The spell summoned Gaoithe. He is in there. Open NOW," he shouted at the twins, glancing at his watch once again. "Here," he held his arm out for the Headmaster to see. "Gaoithe is in mortal peril."

"No, he isn't," Dumbledore replied, smirking, and when Severus examined his watch again, instead of mortal peril it merely showed that Gaoithe was at Hogwarts.

'_What happened_?' Severus wondered in confusion. '_I'm sure that it showed mortal peril earlier_.'

"Come and have a look," Pomfrey suddenly addressed the small group, stepping out into the corridor. "It worked. We have a room full of white phoenix babies."

"Apparently, the spell didn't only summon the Horcruxes but other dark objects as well," Dumbledore said, contentedly popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

Severus dashed into the White Room, looking at the scene in disbelief. "Gaoithe?" he asked, letting his eyes wander around the room, where several dozen naked phoenix babies occupied the bars and ladders. To his great relief, he heard a small baby voice trill back.

#Dad.#

Severus stepped over to the side of the room, from where he had heard the tiny voice.

#Hewe,# Gaoithe trilled, #on de first tep of de ladder.#

"Gaoithe," Severus sighed in relief as he extended his hand in front of the small bird's feet and Gaoithe stepped on his hand. Severus eyed his son with a mixture of relief and disbelief. The bird was completely naked, and only the tips of tiny white feathers could be seen on his wings.

"Severus, you must be very careful. This room is warm enough for the babies, but if you take him out of here, you must keep him warm. If you take him home, you must place him in front of an infrared lamp. It's too cold for him in your quarters," Pomfrey warned him. "I'll ask Misty to take one into your quarters." As soon as Severus left the room with the tiny phoenix buried in his hand, she waved her wand over the animal and cast a warming spell at the bird, who thanked her with a small, grateful trill. "You're very welcome, sweetie," she said gently. "I'm so glad that you're all right."

"I'll ask Yuki if she is willing to raise the baby," Severus said thoughtfully. "Poppy, do you have an idea if Gaoithe will still be able to transform into his human form, and when will he be able to do so?"

Pomfrey sadly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Severus. I don't know if and when he'll be able to transform, nor do I know if he'll be back to his twelve-year-old self, or if he is going to be a baby again."

Severus let out a long sigh. "It doesn't matter," he said finally. "The main point is that Gaoithe is alive and well."

"Severus! Where is Gaoithe?" Minerva, who was hovering at the open door at the top of the stairs, asked urgently. "Is he all right?"

Severus carefully opened his hand just enough for Minerva to take in the small phoenix that tiredly opened his eyes and trilled, #Mum.#

"Oh Merlin," Minerva gasped. "Is he all right?"

"He is completely well," Poppy said calmingly. "However, you must not allow him to transform back or try to transfigure him back for at least three weeks."

風の力を持つハリー

To Minerva's and Severus' great relief, Yuki immediately began to take care of Baby Gaoithe. She took him under her wings and warmed him, until his white feathers grew larger and covered his naked skin. Only when the baby phoenix was a week old, Yuki grudgingly allowed Minerva and Severus to take him from his perch and cuddle with him.

"I'm so glad that you're all right, Gaoithe," Severus told him as he carefully stroked the small white head feathers.

#I'm sowwy. I messed up youw holidays,# Gaoithe trilled back. #You wanted to go to de Manow.#

"Oh no, Gaoithe; that doesn't matter at all," Severus said, rolling his eyes at the small bird. "We can go at a different time. It was just a bit sad that you missed Christmas, but we're very glad that you seem to be fine." Turning to Minerva, he said, "It is reassuring that he remembers everything."

Minerva nodded gently and carefully extended her hand to stroke Gaoithe's feathers. "That's true. He'll probably be able to transform back into his twelve-year-old self in a few weeks' time," she said absentmindedly, before she continued, "I don't know why, but all of a sudden I can understand Gaoithe's trills."

Before Severus could even ponder the matter, Gaoithe asked, #Mum, Dad, why was I taken to dat woom, and what happened to de Hoxes?#

"We assume that the Dark Lord buried a Horcrux within you, when he gave you the scar, which should be gone now by the way," Severus explained patiently. "The Horcruxes were transfigured into white phoenixes as well, along with several other dark objects. Do you exactly remember what happened?"

The phoenix fluffed his tiny feathers in thought, before he replied, #No, ebyfing was dark, but dewe was somefing golden, but I don't know what it was. And I also heard a snake hiss somefing, but it didn't make sense. It hawt a lot, but den it became light and didn't hawt anymowe.# He let out a huge yawn and once again fluffed his short feathers, so that he looked like a small, white ball as he made himself comfortable on his father's shoulder, which was still his favourite spot.

"Sleep well, Gaoithe," Severus commented, smirking as he observed the small phoenix drift off to sleep.

"He is so cute," Minerva said, smiling, "but why am I able to understand him?"

Severus let out a long sigh, before he said thoughtfully, "Maybe it's because he somehow managed to bond with you as well. Did you notice that he called you 'Mum' again? As far as I know, this only happened once before."

"Of course I noticed. He even said it twice," Minerva replied, smiling warmly at her husband and the tiny bird on his shoulder. "I hope you're right. That would be wonderful."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe remained another week in Yuki's care, but by the time the students returned to Hogwarts, the two-week-old phoenix had a warm enough plum to feel comfortable on his own. Knowing that his parents had told his housemates what had happened, he spent some time in the common room every evening to study together with his classmates.

One evening, he asked Minerva, if she could give him his quill out of his school bag, gaining a questioning look from the professor. #I've been studying together with the others the whole week, but I haven't been able to actually do any of my homework, and no one understands me,# Gaoithe trilled softly.

"So you want to try writing your assignments?" Minerva queried in disbelief. Seeing Gaoithe nod, she offered, "If you tell me the concrete text, I can write it for you. Otherwise, we could ask Professor Pomfrey to check on you. If she deems you strong enough, I can transfigure you back into your human form, if that's what you want.

Gaoithe pondered the matter for a few minutes. '_I know that she won't harm me, but I'd rather be able to transform on my own_,' he thought, wondering how he should explain his thoughts to Minerva without hurting her. He looked up in surprise, when Minerva placed a small pile of parchments in front of where he was sitting on the table.

"Ronald Weasley gave me the notes, which he took for you this week," Minerva explained, smirking.

#He took notes for me?# Gaoithe trilled, horrified, looking at Minerva in disbelief.

"Of course," Minerva said matter-of-factly. "That was his punishment, and I informed him on Monday that he would have to take notes for you until you were back to your human form."

#Oh, all right,# Gaoithe trilled in understanding. #I'm sorry; I didn't want him to take notes for me, only for other students.#

Minerva let out a small snort, before she asked softly, "Now, do you want me to call Professor Pomfrey?"

#I could just flash to her and ask if I may transform. I feel strong enough,# Gaoithe replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.

"No," Minerva decided and called her best friend through the fireplace.

Pomfrey quietly waved her wand over the phoenix. "I am very pleased with your overall condition," she said finally. "It's now the twenty-second day after your... let's call it 'accident', and I think you could try to transform, if you feel up to it."

Gaoithe let out a few happy trills, before he threw Minerva an anxious look. #Err, excuse me, do you think I will be naked if I transform, or will I still have my clothes?#

Minerva stared at him in surprise, before she chuckled and quickly conjured robes for Gaoithe. "I suggest that you go into your room together with Professor Pomfrey. I'm sure that she has seen you in your Adam's costume before."

'_Thank Merlin I'm a phoenix_,' Gaoithe thought, '_otherwise I'd be blushing now. This is too embarrassing_.' He flew into his own room, and Pomfrey followed him, instructing him to sit on his bed for the transformation. Gaoithe obliged, and instants later, he found himself back in his twelve-year-old human form. He quickly covered himself with the robes that Pomfrey handed him.

"Is everything all right? Are you feeling well?" the Healer enquired, causing Gaoithe to nod eagerly.

"I feel better than ever before," he said, grinning, and quickly opened the door, knowing from Minerva's behaviour during the last three weeks that she was very worried about him. "Everything is all right, Mum," he said and allowed himself to be pulled into a bear hug.

Minerva and Gaoithe had just returned to the living room to have tea together with Pomfrey, when Severus came out of his lab, where he had been busy brewing several potions for the hospital wing. "Gaoithe," he said in surprise. "I'm glad to have you back, son."

"I've been here the whole time, Dad," Gaoithe said, chuckling, before he turned to Minerva. "Do you think I should send Ron a message and thank him for taking notes for me? I have to tell him that I don't need them anymore anyway," he asked uncertainly, skimming the pile of parchments that he had received from his Gryffindor classmate.

"Well, since it is his punishment, you don't have to do anything about it, and I can tell him that he may stop taking notes for you," Minerva said gently. "However; if you want to thank him, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't send him a message. Yuki surely won't mind taking it to him."

Gaoithe nodded in understanding and quickly scribbled a thank you note, before he engrossed himself in reading through the pile of parchments, unaware of the amused looks the adults shot him.

It was already after curfew, when Severus said strictly, "Gaoithe, I believe that you studied enough for tonight. If you intend to grace your teachers with your presence tomorrow, I suggest that you go to bed."

"I'll do that," Gaoithe agreed and obediently put his parchments away. "Um... Dad," he asked hesitantly, "do you think that the Dark Lord is really gone now?"

Severus thoughtfully pushed an errand strand of hair out of his face, before he replied quietly, "I'm afraid that the Dark Lord is not gone yet, because my Dark Mark is still visible." He slowly rolled his left sleeve up and showed Gaoithe the mark. "Professor Dumbledore and I assume that one of his Horcruxes was used as soon as we got rid of his spirit last year." Seeing that Gaoithe cast him a terrified look, he added, "However, this time, he won't have any Horcruxes left, so that it should be possible to get rid of him permanently."

"Oh no," Gaoithe said, terrified. "Do you think that he's going to possess someone again?" He absentmindedly stroked Yuki's head feathers as he looked from Severus to Minerva.

Severus let out a long sigh. "I'm not sure," he said finally, "but I can't imagine any other method for him to gain a body. Gaoithe, promise me that you'll be very careful and come to us whenever you notice anything strange."

"I promise," Gaoithe reassured his father.

風の力を持つハリー

During the next few days, Gaoithe studied the remaining notes that Ron had taken for him. Although some of the explanations were incomplete and not easy to understand, Gaoithe was surprised at how much the boy had written for him, even if his handwriting was horrible. '_I should ask Mum if she can't just waive his punishment_,' he thought. '_He really did a good job and helped me, even if I can imagine that he wasn't happy to have to take notes for me, and nothing happened when he tried to attack me anyway_.'

However, before Gaoithe had the opportunity to speak with his parents about the matter, Ron had an accident in his Potions class. Gaoithe knew that Ron had never been good at Potions since the beginning of his first year; however, he couldn't understand how the other boy managed to make a simple healing potion explode all over himself, especially after his father had warned the class that the potion could cause harm if it came in touch with human skin as long as it wasn't finished. Severus pointed his wand at the boy and levitated him to the hospital wing, strictly telling Gaoithe that he couldn't join him, because the green pustules, which Ron was spiking, were very contagious.

After dinner the same day, Gaoithe returned home to enquire how Ron was, and upon hearing that he would be stuck in the hospital wing for a week, he offered in a small voice, "Should I take notes for him like he did for me?"

"You don't have to do that, Gaoithe," Severus replied firmly. "It's his own fault that he was so careless and spilled the potion all over himself." He shook his head in annoyance, mumbling something to himself, from which Gaoithe could only understand, "Dunderhead."

"I'd still like to," Gaoithe said softly. "Maybe that would be a chance to get to know him a bit better. I really hate fighting with anyone."

"Severus, do you think the pustules will be contagious for animals?" Minerva threw in, smiling at Gaoithe. "I know for a fact that Mr. Weasley is very bored, because Poppy is not allowing any visitors. She said he was well enough to study though."

"I don't think it is contagious for Animagi," Severus replied thoughtfully. "Would Gaoithe be able to communicate with Weasley though, if he was in an Animagus form?"

"A parrot would be able to talk," Gaoithe hesitantly informed his parents, before he added in a small voice, "However, I haven't transformed into anything, since I was a baby phoenix. Will I still be able to transform at all?"

Minerva looked at Gaoithe in surprise. "Since you were able to transform back from your phoenix form into your human form, I can't see a reason why you shouldn't be able to change into your Animagus form," she said gently. "I wonder if you will be a wind phoenix like before or an ice phoenix like you were as a baby."

"Why don't you just try to transform?" Severus suggested, giving Gaoithe an encouraging look.

Gaoithe nodded, wondering why he was so nervous about the matter. '_I can do it_,' he thought to himself and concentrated on his wind phoenix form, sighing in relief when he managed the transformation without any problems. He transformed back and carefully copied his own notes with the copy spell that Minerva had taught him a few days ago, before he changed into his phoenix form again and took the few parchments into his left foot. Very hesitantly, he flashed straight into the hospital wing, where Ron Weasley was quarantined in a corner. '_Thank Merlin_,' he thought, seeing that the other boy was asleep. '_It's not as if I wanted to talk to him anyway._' He quietly placed the parchments onto the night table and flashed back home.

During the next few days, Gaoithe took notes for Ron and placed them on his night table every evening, surprised but glad that the other boy was always asleep. At the end of the week, Ron was released and still wondering who had secretly brought the piles of notes on a daily basis. On the one hand, Gaoithe was relieved that he didn't have to speak with the boy, but on the other hand, he was slightly disappointed, because he had hoped to make Ron see reason and not fight him anymore.

A few days later, the twins cornered Gaoithe. "Do you have an idea, who is an Animagus and brought notes to our brother last week?" George asked him.

"Pomfrey has her eyes everywhere; so it must have been an Animagus," Fred added, casting Gaoithe a suspicious look.

Gaoithe sighed and quietly explained everything to his friends, who exchanged a mischievous look and hurriedly dashed away. '_What's wrong now?_' Gaoithe wondered, groaning in annoyance as he tried to imagine what the twins were planning now. He shouldn't have to wonder for long though. A few minutes later, the second year Merlins crossed the entrance hall on their way to dinner, and a large group of students was assembled in front of the Hourglasses. So far, Gryffindor and Merlin had been at the same level with House points, and during the last months, both Houses had been observing the Hourglasses with interest. However, all of a sudden, Merlin was nearly one hundred points ahead, and everyone seemed to be wondering why.

"Professor Pomfrey gave seventy points to Gaoithe, because he helped our little brother by taking notes for him for a whole week," the twins informed their housemates loud enough for everyone at the Merlin and Gryffindor tables to hear as soon as they took their seats in the Great Hall.

"She what?" Gaoithe mouthed, terrified, casting the twins an angry glare. '_So much about not letting Ron know who it was_,' he thought angrily. '_Now he'll hate me even more. The twins are as meddling as Dumbledore_.' Somehow feeling Ron's glare in his back, Gaoithe was still upset when dinner ended and decided to do his homework at home.

Apparently sensing that he seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason, Minerva instructed him in a soft voice, "Gaoithe, come here and sit next to me for a moment." When the boy complied, she said, "Put your hand on my stomach for a moment. You should be able to feel the baby. She seems to be doing flip-flops in there."

Gaoithe looked at Minerva in surprise but hesitantly laid his hand on her robes. Only a short time later, he felt his hand being kicked. "Wow, doesn't that hurt?" he asked in concern. '_That's amazing. The baby must be very strong_,' he thought.

"Well, normally, it doesn't hurt. It's just a bit unnerving when she kicks me when I want to sleep or am just teaching," Minerva replied, smiling, before she asked softly, "Gaoithe, would you like to see the baby? I have an appointment with Professor Pomfrey tomorrow, and your father is coming along as well. She will display the baby on a screen for us to watch for a while."

Seeing that his father nodded at him approvingly, Gaoithe hesitantly agreed, although he thought, '_They should go to see the baby alone. I'm only the adoptive brother_.' When he returned to Merlin just before curfew, he spoke with Hermione about the matter and asked for her opinion.

"Gaoithe, if Professor McGonagall invites you to come, you should go. You're the big brother. Your parents must love you very much to allow you to participate in such an event," Hermione told him in apparent excitement.

When he met his parents in a small room behind Pomfrey's office after his last afternoon class, Gaoithe still wasn't completely convinced; however, when he saw the baby on the screen, he knew immediately that he was going to love his little sister. '_She is so cute_,' he thought as he observed how she contentedly sucked her thumb. '_I wonder what they're going to name her_,' he thought, looking up in surprise when Pomfrey just voiced the same question.

Minerva looked at Severus in exasperation, before she let out a long sigh and said, "Finding a name for a child is more difficult than I expected it to be. Severus doesn't like any of my suggestions, and I don't like the names, which he comes up with, either.

Gaoithe couldn't help chuckling, especially as his Head of House laughed as well, before she said, "Well, if that's your only problem, you can deem yourselves very lucky. Whom are you going to make the godparents by the way?"

Minerva glared at her best friend. "Since you refused, we have no idea whom to appoint godparents. The only younger teachers are the Longbottoms, but since Alice is already Gaoithe's godmother, we have to think of someone else." She turned to Gaoithe. "Is there anyone among your friends, even if they're a bit young, who would like to become godmother or godfather?"

Gaoithe looked at Minerva in shock. "Uh... I don't know, but perhaps Hermione or the twins?" he suggested vaguely, causing Minerva to let out a snort.

"Minerva, I believe that the twins are well able to take responsibility," Severus threw in. "During the last few years, I spoke with them in private a few times, and they took good care of Gaoithe on several occasions. Apart from that, Ms. Granger would make a good addition."

"Young godparents are definitely better than too old ones," Pomfrey spoke up, smiling.

"Very well then," Minerva hesitantly agreed. "Let's speak with them and ask them tonight."

To Gaoithe's amazement, Hermione and the twins agreed to become his baby sister's godparents. He couldn't wait to see his little sister and help his parents to care for her. '_Thank Merlin they planned it so well that she's going to be born at the beginning of the summer holidays_,' he thought happily and hoped that the remaining weeks of the school year were going to pass quickly.

風の力を持つハリー

However, a month before the end of the school year, he became distracted by a completely different matter. One day at dinnertime, Severus thought to him, 'Gaoithe, can you come home for a few minutes after dinner, or are you very busy?'

'No problem,' Gaoithe thought back. He wondered what his father wanted, because it was only Monday, and he had just spent the whole weekend at home.

"Gaoithe, do you think you have time to skim Salazar's book for the wolfscure potion, of which he told us, if possible before the end of the school year?" Severus asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dad; I should have done that a long time ago, but I completely forgot about it," Gaoithe said, terrified at his own stupidity.

"It's all right, Gaoithe, and it wasn't necessary so far anyway," Severus replied gently. "However, the Headmaster just informed me that he is going to hire a werewolf to teach Care of Magical Creatures from the next school year onwards, and I personally think it would be much safer for everyone, if he was cured before the beginning of the school year."

"A werewolf?" Gaoithe gasped. "Okay, I'll try to find the recipe. Err... Dad, do you think we could ask Salazar where I can find it?"

Severus sighed. "I asked him, but he wasn't very helpful. However, he said that the recipe should be in one of the books that you could access and borrow from his library."

Gaoithe agreed and took one of the books with him to Merlin House. During the following weeks, he busied himself translating the titles of the potions recipes in Salazar's books. Whenever he finished a book, he took his notes to Severus, who skimmed the titles and marked those recipes, which he wanted to have translated later on, whenever Gaoithe had time. However, even after Gaoithe had finished the titles of the first dozen books, there was still no sign of a wolfscure potion. Finally, two weeks before the beginning of the summer holidays, he found the potion.

'_The Wolfscure_,' was the title, and Gaoithe looked at the words, which he had just written, in disbelief. '_That's the potion. Finally_,' he thought in utmost relief and hurriedly translated the necessary potions ingredients and the brewing instructions, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed home with his notes, knowing that his father would be more than relieved to get his hands on the recipe. '_He's probably worried, because the werewolf might harm the baby_,' he thought, while he dashed through the Snapes' quarters, looking for his parents. However, the rooms lay completely in the dark, and he could neither find his father nor Minerva. '_Maybe something happened with the baby_,' he thought, terrified. '_She was supposed to arrive in two weeks' time, and we were supposed to go and see her again on Wednesday_.' However, when he recalled that Pomfrey hadn't come to the common room that evening, he was sure that something was wrong and hurriedly transformed and flashed straight into the hospital wing.

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When Gaoithe arrived in the hospital wing, he found himself face-to-face with his father. Severus looked very stressed but smiled as Gaoithe appeared in front of him and quickly changed into his human form. "Ah, there you are. I just went to Merlin House to see if you were still up. Your mother had a few problems tonight, and Professor Pomfrey had to call Healers from St. Mungo's to take the baby out..."

"Are they all right?" Gaoithe interrupted his father, looking up in shock. '_How could something happen so quickly?_' he wondered. '_She seemed fine to me in class_.'

"There were complications. Minerva lost so much blood that they had to fight to save her, but everything went well, and yes, they're both all right," Severus replied tiredly. "Come with me, but you must be quiet."

"I will," Gaoithe promised and quickly followed his father through Pomfrey's office and hesitantly entered the small room, where Minerva was lying in a bed, and a baby was occupying a tiny bed right next to her. Pomfrey was just waving her wand over the baby.

"Mum," Gaoithe said and swallowed hard to fight back the tears that welled in his eyes at the thought that Minerva nearly hadn't made it.

"Come here, my son," Minerva replied, smiling as she reached out for his hand. "You're a big brother now."

"Congratulations," Gaoithe replied, wondering what else he was supposed to say.

However, before he could even think of something, Pomfrey instructed him to go and wash his hands, before she made him sit on the chair next to Minerva's bed and gently laid the baby in his arms. "You must be careful; she is still spitting out a bit of blood every now and then," she said, handing him a towel, before she quietly left the room to give the small family some space.

Gaoithe looked at the baby in amazement. '_She is so tiny, but she's adorable, and she looks so fragile_,' he thought, when he suddenly remembered to ask, "Hello little one, I'm Gaoithe, your big brother. What's your name?"

Minerva and Severus laughed. "Do you want to wait for her to tell you?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow.

Gaoithe rolled his eyes. "If possible, I'd appreciate it if you told me," he replied, chuckling.

"The young lady here is Uisce Lily Snape," Severus informed him, sounding very proud as he observed Gaoithe carefully play with his daughter's tiny fingers.

"Ishka?" Gaoithe tried to pronounce the name in confusion.

Severus smirked. "Exactly. Uisce is Gaelic and means water, just like Gaoithe means wind. We thought it was very fitting as a name for your younger sister."

"It's a nice name for her. And Lily? Lily as in my birth mother's name?" Gaoithe asked softly.

"Yes Gaoithe," Severus explained. "Normally, people give their children the name of their parents or their own name as second name; however, we decided to give your sister your mother's name. As you know, both of us knew her very well, and she meant a lot to us."

"I like the name," Gaoithe said simply as he continued to carefully stroke the baby's soft skin. "Hey Uisce," he whispered gently, before he turned back to his father. "Can we take her home now?"

_tbc..._


	26. Chapter 26

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 26**

To Gaoithe's disappointment, Minerva and Uisce had to remain in the hospital wing for a few days. He spent every free minute with them, although he realised soon that the baby was asleep most of the time. When they were released from the hospital wing on Saturday morning, Severus began to brew the wolfscure potion after the recipe that Gaoithe had found and translated the other day. The brewing process took the whole weekend with a few breaks, when the potion had to simmer for a few hours. Gaoithe felt very happy and proud that his father deemed him competent enough to assist with such a difficult potion, even if he only allowed him to prepare the ingredients.

"I hope this will work," he said, when the potion was nearly finished. "It would be too dangerous for Uisce with a werewolf nearby."

Severus cast him an amused look. "I wouldn't want you near a werewolf either," he said firmly, before he instructed Gaoithe to fetch a dozen small phials from the shelf.

They wouldn't have to wait long, because the full moon was just a week away, and when the Headmaster heard that they had brewed the wolfscure, he invited the new Care of Magical Creatures professor to come to Hogwarts and take the potion right away.

風の力を持つハリー

After his classes on Monday morning, Gaoithe flashed home to see Minerva and Uisce. He ate lunch together with Minerva, until she had to feed her daughter. Gaoithe hesitantly sat on the sofa next to them and observed how his small sister greedily drank her milk. "Doesn't that hurt?" he asked softly, causing Minerva to smile.

"Just a little bit, but it doesn't matter. I'm just glad that she drinks everything; otherwise, it would hurt much more," Minerva said gently. Before Gaoithe had to leave for his first afternoon class, she instructed him to come back right after his last class. "Professor Lupin is going to come for dinner." Seeing Gaoithe look at her questioningly, she explained, "He is the new professor for Care of Magical Creatures, for whom you brewed the Wolfscure potion."

"Is he going to take it tonight?" Gaoithe asked with interest.

"Yes, but Dad wants to speak with him beforehand to make exactly clear that the potion hasn't been tested etc. Professor Lupin attended Hogwarts together with your birth parents, and he was one of their best friends. I believe that he will be very happy to meet you, provided that you're willing to tell him about your true identity."

"If you think I should tell him, I will," Gaoithe replied, smiling, before he hurriedly transformed and flashed away after a glance at his watch.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe liked Professor Lupin immediately. '_He seems very friendly_,' he thought, seeing how the new professor smiled upon seeing Uisce.

"Uisce Lily?" Lupin queried and smiled as he looked from Severus to Minerva.

"Well, we chose Uisce because it matches Gaoithe so well, and Lily because we hope to raise her to such a wonderful girl like Lily Evans was," Minerva explained patiently, and Lupin nodded in apparent understanding.

"She was the kindest witch I ever met," he said in a soft voice.

Feeling very reassured by what Minerva had told him at lunchtime, Gaoithe hesitantly addressed the man, when the adults remained quiet, apparently thinking about the past, for a short while. "Professor Lupin, my mother recommended that I should tell you something," he said softly. Seeing that the professor cast him an encouraging look, he explained that his birth name was Harry Potter and how he had ended up in Severus' care.

"Harry?" Lupin asked in disbelief, before he said thoughtfully, "Oh well, I should have been able to guess that, because your eyes, Lily's eyes, are very special. I'm very glad to meet you, and I really appreciate that you told me the truth. Your parents were my best friends. Thank you so much, Gaoithe."

"If Gaoithe's birth father knew, who adopted him, he would turn around in his grave," Severus threw in, smirking.

"I don't think so, Severus," Lupin disagreed. "Both of them would be glad to know that he is in good hands, and Lily would be thrilled to know that you and Minerva are his new parents."

風の力を持つハリー

After dinner, Severus escorted Professor Lupin to the hospital wing, where he administered the Wolfscure potion and left his new colleague in Professor Pomfrey's care to make sure that the potion didn't have any unexpected after effects. At the same time, Gaoithe helped Minerva to carefully bathe Uisce. '_She is so sweet, absolutely adorable_,' he thought as he watched Minerva wrap the baby into a large, soft towel. '_Strange that she has blue eyes_,' he thought, unaware that he had voiced his thoughts.

Minerva eyed him in amusement. "All babies have blue eyes. Only when they're about a year old, you know which colour they really have," she explained gently. "Now, are you going to learn how to change her nappy?"

Gaoithe agreed and only when Uisce was fast asleep in her bed again, he said, "Mum, I'm sorry. I wanted to ask Dad to take me to Hogsmeade on the first day of the holidays in order to buy a present for Uisce, but everything went so fast, and..." He slowly trailed off, looking uncertainly at Minerva.

"What would you like to give her, Gaoithe?" Minerva asked softly. "Maybe I can conjure it for you?"

Gaoithe remained quiet for a moment. '_Well, if anyone can make such a thing, it will be Mum_,' he thought and finally explained his idea.

"A plush animal that changes its form at a touch on the head?" Minerva asked in disbelief, before she remained quiet for a while. "Well, I can try to make you one," she finally said. "However, this is not solely possible with a Transfiguration spell. I'll have to try to charm it. If it doesn't work, we'll have to ask Professor Flitwick." She pulled a tissue out of her robe pocket and transfigured it into a dark blue teddy bear that was wearing a white jumpsuit with an all over pattern of small green phoenixes and had emerald green eyes like Gaoithe's. "Any specific features that you'd like the animals to have?" she asked, smiling as she noticed that Gaoithe looked at the teddy bear in awe.

Deep in thought, Gaoithe hesitantly replied, "Maybe it's too much to ask, but if it could make animal sounds, it would be super."

Minerva nodded in agreement and pointed her wand at the plush teddy, uttering a long incantation, of which Gaoithe didn't understand anything. Finally, she let her wand sink and motioned for Gaoithe to touch the teddy's head. When he curiously complied, the teddy bear changed into a phoenix and trilled a beautiful melody. '_That's the song, which Mum always sings to Uisce_,' he thought and once again touched the toy's head, chuckling, when it consecutively transformed into a unicorn, a snake, a hippogriff and a griffin, singing the same song in the specific animal's tongue.

風の力を持つハリー

Uisce seemed to like her new toy. At least she quieted down immediately at the animals' soft melodies, especially when the phoenix trilled to her.

"Probably she feels the most comfortable with the phoenix's trills, because she is used to your trills, which she has already heard for nine months," Severus and Minerva told Gaoithe, who felt very happy at the thought.

However, as much as Uisce loved Gaoithe's present, she absolutely adored that of her godfathers. Minerva and Severus invited Hermione and the twins to their quarters for Friday after the last class of the school year, and while Hermione brought a small pile of Muggle baby booklets, which her mother had bought and sent to her, the twins leaned over Uisce's cot and attached something to the side rails. Noticing that everyone threw them questioning looks, they explained, "Professor Flitwick helped us to charm this."

It was a mobile of the moon and about a dozen stars in front of the blue night sky that was charmed to sense when the baby woke up. As soon as Uisce opened her eyes, the mobile began to play a soft melody, and the Snitch, which was flying across the sky, exploded into a snowfall that softly fell to just a bit over the baby's head, before it manifested itself into the Snitch and recommenced its flight.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe was sad to see his friends go home; however, on the other hand, he couldn't wait to travel into the past and attend classes together with Ceridwen and Gawain for a few months. Therefore, he was very disappointed when Severus told him on the first day of the holidays that Pomfrey had told them to wait for at least a month, until Minerva was completely recovered from the complications that had occurred at Uisce's birth and the baby was a few weeks old. However, he became soon distracted when Severus reminded him that it was the day of the full moon and that they'd know if their potion had worked in the morning.

"Are you sure that the potion will cure him? Maybe I made a mistake with the translation," Gaoithe voiced in concern, causing Severus to smirk.

"Gaoithe, as much as you trust you, I made sure that your translation was correct. I went to see Salazar and read the recipe to him. He confirmed that it was accurate," Severus replied soothingly. "Everything will be all right, son."

However, Gaoithe was not completely convinced. '_I don't really trust Salazar. He is very moody and unreliable. What if the potion doesn't work?_' he thought, terrified, when he woke up in the middle of the night, unable to push the thought of a werewolf hurting his little sister from his mind. '_I'll go and check on Professor Lupin_,' he decided, knowing that he could easily flash away from any kind of danger. He transformed and flashed to the professor, anxiously glancing around when he arrived at a completely unknown place.

To his relief, Gaoithe saw that Professor Lupin was in his human form, sitting on a bed and deeply engrossed in a large tome that was lying on his knees. Only when he curiously flew nearer, the professor looked up in surprise.

"Hello. May I ask, who you are and what you're doing here?" he asked gently.

Gaoithe let out a soft trill and hesitantly transformed into his human form. "I'm sorry for intruding, Professor," he apologized quickly. "I was just worried if everything was all right and the potion worked properly."

He inwardly sighed in relief, when the professor gave him a warm smile. "Thank you so much for your concern, Gaoithe. Why don't you sit here..." He pointed to the edge of his bed, "and have a cup of cocoa with me?"

"I'd like to," Gaoithe replied softly, "however, I'm not supposed to be here, and it's three o'clock in the morning."

"I won't tell your parents, and if you're not too tired, I'd love to speak with you. I'm too excited to sleep anyway," Lupin said gently, and, seeing Gaoithe agree, he called a house-elf and ordered two cups of cocoa and chocolate cream biscuits.

Gaoithe and the new professor talked until the rays of the early morning sun began to stream through the dusty windows into the Shrieking Shack. "I better transform and flash back," Gaoithe said in surprise at how quickly the night had passed. "Thank you so much, sir, for telling me so many stories about my birth parents. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Gaoithe," Lupin replied gently. "Come to see me at any time, and once again thank you very much for curing me from lycanthropy."

"You're welcome. I'm glad that I could help," Gaoithe said happily, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed home, hoping that no one had missed him during the night. '_Well, they won't have; otherwise, they'd have sent Yuki after me_,' he reassured himself as he tiredly crawled into bed.

風の力を持つハリー

During the first week of the holidays, Gaoithe worked hard on his summer assignments, knowing that he wouldn't have time during the second half of the summer. When he was finished, Minerva and Severus offered to look over his work and applied so many corrections, that he had to write everything again. Nevertheless, he finished his homework by the end of the second week. '_Thank Merlin it's done_,' he thought as he tiredly put his quill down after finishing his Charms essay. '_Well, that's what I get for having two teachers as parents. On the other hand, it's better than being ignored like I used to be at the Dursleys_.'

"Gaoithe," Severus pulled him out of his thoughts, "I'd like to speak with you about something." Seeing that Gaoithe looked at him in expectation, he continued, "Our meddling Headmaster apparently told the Minister of Magic about our wolfscure potion."

Gaoithe groaned in annoyance as Severus explained, "The Minister asked me to brew enough doses of the potion to cure all the werewolves in Britain. He offered to pay one thousand Galleons for each dose and promised to award both of us the Order of Merlin first class if we agreed to heal the werewolves."

"No thank you," Gaoithe threw in with a disgusted expression on his face. "I mean the Order of Merlin. Of course we can heal the werewolves. The question is how many doses do we need? I thought we were going to go to the past in two weeks' time." He gave Severus a questioning look.

"We will travel to the past," Severus reassured him in determination, "and we can continue to brew the potions in the past. When we return in time for the beginning of the new school year, we'll take them to the Ministry or straight to St. Mungo's, where they will be administered. Do you think you'll be able to take the time to assist during the weekends?"

"Of course," Gaoithe promised. "I can also find time in the evening. If I stay in your quarters, we can still brew after curfew."

"No Gaoithe," Minerva interrupted him strictly. "Curfew is there for a reason, and you're supposed to go to bed and not to begin brewing a difficult potion after curfew."

Gaoithe rolled his eyes but knew better than to contradict. During the following two weeks, Severus and Gaoithe brewed as many doses as they could and sold them to the Ministry of Magic.

風の力を持つハリー

When Uisce was four weeks old, the Longbottoms, Professor Lupin, the Headmaster and the other three Heads of House met in the Snapes' quarters for dinner. Knowing that everyone would notice that Uisce wouldn't only be ten weeks old but rather six months when they were going to come back, Minerva and Severus had decided to tell their colleagues about their time travelling activities. '_Maybe Dumbledore doesn't like it_,' Gaoithe thought, observing the Headmaster frown as he followed Severus' explanation.

"Minerva, Severus, are you sure that it is wise to travel with such a small child? Wouldn't the time travel harm her magic?" Dumbledore finally spoke up without the usual twinkle in his eyes.

Before Minerva or Severus had the chance to even think of a reply, Pomfrey said, "I had a long conversation with the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, and we agreed that Uisce's magic was already strong enough for the travel, if Gaoithe flashes his parents and sister down- and upstairs." Looking at the boy, she asked gently, "Will you do that for your sister, Gaoithe?"

"Of course," Gaoithe replied immediately, forcing himself to not roll his eyes at his Head of House.

"Other than that, I can't see any problems," Pomfrey continued. "Professor Hufflepuff will be there to do all the necessary checks on the baby, and if they need any modern potions, Severus can brew them. Moreover, the people in the past seem to have managed raising babies without problems."

While everyone chuckled at her monologue, Dumbledore slowly nodded and said, "Very well then; I trust your opinion, Poppy."

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Minerva carried Uisce and Severus Iro, when Gaoithe flashed them all to the past, arriving one day before the students were going to come back from their winter holidays.

Ceridwen pulled Gaoithe into a bear hug, and her light blue eyes were twinkling with joy. "Thank Merlin you're back, Gaoithe. I missed you badly, and the Hufflepuff House was very quiet without you and Gawain."

Gaoithe smiled at the excited girl. '_She somehow resembles Hermione, except for her eyes_,' he thought as the girl began to fawn over Uisce and asked Minerva if she could help changing and bathing the baby later on.

"Of course you may," Minerva replied gently. "She is only cute if she is not hungry though. If she is hungry, I always wonder if she is going to be a tiger Animagus one day."

"Gaoithe," Ceridwen said with excitement when they finished their lunch later on, "Helga told me earlier that she has to go and check on a sick unicorn. Would you like to come? We could go riding for a while."

"Oh I'd love to see Moonlight again," Gaoithe said happily and quickly informed his parents, before he ran after Ceridwen.

The two friends spent the whole afternoon with the unicorns. Gaoithe was very happy to see that Moonlight seemed to remember him and immediately allowed him to sit up. '_Oh well, in this time only two weeks passed since I left_,' he thought, '_and not a whole year like it was for me_.' They explored the nearby landscape, before Ceridwen led him to her parents' home in Hogsmeade. Gaoithe noticed in surprise that her home was the next building to Hogwarts. '_This is right next to where the Shrieking Shack is in our time, where I met with Professor Lupin the other night_,' he realised as he hesitantly allowed Ceridwen to pull him into the very cosy looking little house.

"Mum! Dad!" Ceridwen shouted, causing her mother, a plump middle aged woman with the same bright smile as Ceridwen's, to appear at the entrance door.

"What are you doing here, Ceridwen? Oh, you brought a visitor," she said in surprise and extended her hand to Gaoithe. "Hello, I am Ceridwen's mother, Heather Hufflepuff. Are you one of her friends at Hogwarts?"

"That's Gaoithe, Mum. I told you about him," Ceridwen said excitedly.

"Gaoithe," her mother said, looking at the boy in surprise. "Helga told me that you came from the future. Is that true?"

"Yes," Gaoithe replied, smiling, and during the next hour, he had to answer many questions that Ceridwen, Heather and her husband Heath asked with apparent interest. When Ceridwen and Gaoithe finally headed out to ride back on their unicorns, Heather invited Gaoithe to visit them together with Ceridwen over the weekend whenever Helga allowed them to leave the castle.

'_Her parents are so nice. I really like them. I felt very comfortable at their place, even if I only met them today_,' Gaoithe mused as he followed Ceridwen and rode Moonlight back to Hogwarts in time for dinner. He had just said good-bye to the unicorn, and the two friends were on their way back to the castle, when Iro's thoughts penetrated his mind. 'Gaoithe, where are you? Come back home quickly please.'

Gaoithe turned to Ceridwen. "Would you mind me flashing us back to my room?" he asked in concern. "My familiar just asked me to come back quickly for some reason."

"Of course; let's go," Ceridwen replied simply, casting Gaoithe a worried look. As soon as he transformed, she grabbed his tail feathers, and he flashed away. Arriving in his room, he changed back into his human form and stepped out into the living room with Ceridwen in tow.

Minerva and Severus were just having dinner together with the Founders, and Professor Hufflepuff looked sternly at her sister and Gaoithe. "You're late for dinner," she said reproachfully.

"I'm sorry, Helga. It's my fault. I took Gaoithe home to Mum and Dad, and they asked him so many questions that we completely forgot the time," Ceridwen explained quickly as she and Gaoithe sat down at the table.

"I am sorry, Professor," Gaoithe echoed and glanced questioningly at Iro, who jumped up his robes, until she reached his shoulder.

'I'd like to introduce someone to you,' she thought to him, and only now, Gaoithe realised that a second chameguise was climbing up his arm. 'He is my friend. Do you think we could take him with us to the new time?'

"Hello there," Gaoithe said softly. "Of course you can come with us." Noticing that everyone was eyeing him in confusion, he shortly explained what Iro had told him.

"I think that it is a very good idea to take Iro's friend with us," Minerva said warmly. "It must be very boring for her just on her own, while there aren't any other chameguises in the future."

"If your familiar is called Iro, which means colour in Japanese, you should call her boyfriend Hikaru for light," Salazar threw in, smirking.

"That reminds me of something," Gaoithe said pensively. '_I hope that he won't be angry_,' he thought, glancing at Salazar as he put his fork down and hesitantly asked, "Amaterasu seems to be very lonely in the future, too. Wouldn't it be possible to look for a partner for her as well?"

Before Salazar could even think about the matter, Ceridwen chuckled. "Be careful, Gaoithe. Maybe when you access Professor Slytherin's private chambers in the future, you'll find a huge basilisk family with many generations of children."

'_Oh right; that needs to be considered_,' Gaoithe thought, looking at his father in surprise, when he said, smirking, "I am sure that the sale of basilisk eggs and skin will be more lucrative than brewing the wolfscure potion."

"Very well," Salazar agreed. "I shall see if I can get a second basilisk, and in case it's a male basilisk, it won't be a problem to give him a potion that will prevent him from founding a huge family in my chambers. It might take a few weeks or months, before I'll find one though."

'_I hope he'll be able to get one, before we have to go back to the future_,' Gaoithe thought. '_Amaterasu will be very happy to have company, especially when Salazar won't be around anymore_.'

"Ceridwen and Gaoithe, do you want to help me with Uisce?" Minerva's voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she returned into the room with the baby in her arm. "I just fed her," she said tiredly. "Can one of you take her and make her burp please?"

"Of course," Ceridwen and Gaoithe said simultaneously and took the baby with them to the sofa, where they made themselves comfortable together with Uisce. Afterwards, Gaoithe showed Ceridwen how to change her nappy, and Ceridwen watched in amazement.

"Thank Merlin that you brought these nappies from the future," she said, smiling. "I often help my neighbour to care for her baby, and it's much more complicated to change them in this time."

Unfortunately, as much as they tried to calm Uisce and make her comfortable, the baby wouldn't calm down and continued to whimper the whole evening. "Did we do anything wrong?" Gaoithe asked Ceridwen in confusion, wondering why his friend began to chuckle.

"No, we didn't anything wrong," Ceridwen finally said and carefully stuck her forefinger into the small baby's mouth, feeling around gently. "I suspect that she is getting her first tooth. Let's ask Helga for the toothing cream. Professor Salazar invented that for my mother ages ago."

"Why do you know such things?" Gaoithe wondered aloud, causing the girl to grin.

"As I probably told you a few times, I want to become a Healer; so I use every chance to accompany my mother to her patients," she explained, while she gently rubbed circles into the baby's back to comfort her.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following months, Gaoithe was very busy with homework, helping Minerva to care for Uisce in the evenings, brewing the wolfscure potion together with Severus in the weekends and spending time with Ceridwen and Gawain. However, he enjoyed himself greatly, especially as he didn't have any problems with Occlumency anymore, and seeing how competent he was at Potions, Salazar behaved much friendlier towards him. Whenever Ceridwen, Gawain and Gaoithe had free time, they explored the castle, and Gaoithe was amazed to walk through the parts of the castle, which were not used anymore in his own time. A few years ago, Ceridwen had observed and partly even helped the Founders to build Hogwarts, and she knew all the secret passages and staircases leading through the castle.

'_This is so absolute cool_,' Gaoithe thought after walking from the dungeons up to Gryffindor tower through a shortcut in not more than two minutes. '_I wonder if I'll be able to use this passage in the future_,' he thought, making mental notes of all the passwords that Ceridwen told him. As soon as he returned to his own room in the evenings, where he spent the nights in order to be able to help Minerva with Uisce, he meticulously drew the passages into the copy of the Marauders' map, which Professor Flitwick had made for him before his trip to the past.

風の力を持つハリー

A few weeks before the end of the school year, Salazar invited Severus and Gaoithe to accompany him on a trip to a farther away magical village, where someone had promised him a basilisk baby. Severus and Gaoithe happily accepted the invitation, and the three wizards left Hogwarts early on a Saturday morning, each of them riding on a unicorn. '_The landscape in this time is even more beautiful than in the future, because they don't have cars yet_,' Gaoithe thought, looking around with interest.

After a three-hour ride, they arrived in a small village with stone houses similar to Hogsmeade, and Salazar led them to one of the small houses. Gaoithe sighed in relief, when they were offered a second breakfast, because he felt very hungry after the long ride. '_I wonder where we are and if this village still exists in the future_,' he thought, resolving to ask his father later on.

The basilisk baby was still very small and had very uncharacteristic bright green eyes and a dark green pattern on his black skin. '_He is such a cutie_,' Gaoithe thought as he observed how Salazar tried to put the magical animal into a cage to carry him to Hogwarts. However, all of a sudden, he noticed that the basilisk seemed to be afraid of being locked in, and without further thinking, he transformed into a basilisk.

"Don't worry, little one," he hissed soothingly. "We're going to take you to a huge castle, where you will find a friend. She isss already waiting for you and looking forward to meeting you."

"Awight," the baby basilisk hissed back and finally agreed to make himself comfortable in the cage.

"We're going to call him Susanoo, so that he will match Amaterasu well," Salazar decided on their way back and, seeing that Severus and Gaoithe threw him questioning looks, explained, "In the Japanese mythology, Susanoo is the brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu. I hope that you'll find them both well in the future."

"Are you going to do something to prevent them from having a castle full of basilisk babies?" Gaoithe asked, chuckling, causing Salazar to throw him a menacing glare.

"I'm not stupid, boy," he sneered. "Professor Ravenclaw already invented a spell, which I'm going to use on Susanoo. You should only find two basilisks in my rooms in the future, not more."

'_I wonder if everything goes according to his plans_,' Gaoithe mused. '_Maybe Amaterasu won't even like him, although I think that he is very cute. I can't wait to go and see them in the future_.'

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe didn't have to wait long, because his parents decided to go back to the future on the first day of the summer holidays. "Gaoithe and Uisce should age as least as possible, so that it won't become too obvious that they're older than their classmates in their later Hogwarts years," Severus said, raising an eyebrow at Gaoithe. "I suspect that you want to use the winter holidays to come back for your second year?"

"I'd love to do so, although I can understand if you want to remain in the future, so that Uisce won't age too much," Gaoithe replied, thinking, '_Of course I'll miss them, but I can try to be back right after leaving, so that Uisce won't miss me_.'

Uisce absolutely adored her big brother. Even if she smiled at everyone and especially at her mother, no one received brighter smiles from her than Gaoithe.

風の力を持つハリー

The Snapes had just arrived in their quarters, when Twinkle, the Headmaster's house-elf, appeared in front of them, bowing deeply. "Mistress Minerva, Master Severus, Master Albus asks that the four of you come to his office immediately. He is having something urgent to discuss with yous."

"I'm sorry, but I need to feed Uisce first," Minerva replied firmly. "Twinkle, please tell the Headmaster that we will be there in thirty minutes."

Twinkle popped away, and a few minutes later, the Headmaster stepped out of the fireplace. Seeing that everyone was sitting on the sofa, where Minerva was feeding the baby, he headed over to the small group and apologized. "I am sorry to disturb you; however, there is something important, which I need to discuss with you. For the first time in the history of Azkaban..."

"Azkaban?" Gaoithe hesitantly interrupted the Headmaster.

"The wizarding prison," Dumbledore explained gently. "Anyway, Sirius Black managed to break out this summer." Ignoring Minerva's and Severus' simultaneous gasps, he continued, "Gaoithe, have you ever heard of Sirius Black?"

"Sirius Black?" Gaoithe searched his mind, before he remembered, "Professor Lupin told me about him. He was their best friend, and he was also my godfather, but then he gave them away to the Dark Lord."

"Exactly," Dumbledore said gravely, "and we're afraid that he broke out of the prison to get to Harry Potter. I don't know if he is aware of the fact that you are Harry Potter. However, you need to be extremely careful."

"That man is a dangerous fool," Severus agreed grimly. "Gaoithe, please promise to take care, and don't leave the castle on your own. If you for some reason end up alone on the grounds, immediately transform into one of your Animagus forms, just to be on the safe side."

"I will," Gaoithe promised as he absentmindedly took Uisce from Minerva to make her burp on his shoulder. "May I tell my best friends about him?"

The adults agreed, and after the Welcoming Feast two days later, Gaoithe took Hermione, Neville and the twins aside and informed them about Sirius Black.

"We saw his photo on the Daily Prophet..."

"... If he came into the castle, everyone would know immediately," the twins replied in surprise.

"Maybe the Control Room will come handy here," Hermione said thoughtfully. "If he entered Hogwarts, we could easily catch him by placing walls around him."

"The Control Room?" Neville asked in disbelief.

"I'll show you tomorrow," Gaoithe promised, resolving to carry the Marauders' map with him at all times. '_If I see a spot named Sirius Black, I'll flash into the Control Room right away_,' he thought as he excused himself and flashed home to check on Uisce and fetch the copy of the map, which held all the passwords to the hidden passages that Ceridwen had shown him in the past.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following weeks, Gaoithe made it a habit to take a glance at his map at the end of each class. However, Sirius Black did not show on the map. It was only during the Halloween feast, which Gaoithe thoroughly enjoyed at the Merlin table with a happily giggling Uisce on his lap that Sirius Black made his way into the castle and tried to get into the Gryffindor common room.

Shortly after the Halloween fast ended everyone was called back into the Great Hall. However, when Gaoithe and Severus hurriedly checked the map, there was no sign of Sirius Black, and the Headmaster sent everyone back to their common rooms. '_Maybe he is still out on the grounds_,' Gaoithe thought and flashed outside for a nightly flight around the castle. It was a cold night, but the sky was cloudless, and the lake looked beautiful in the bright moon light.

Gaoithe couldn't see anyone. Only a cat that he recognised as Crookshanks, Hermione's familiar, and a black dog were slowly walking next to each other beside the lake. Gaoithe landed near the lake and transformed into a lynx. He carefully headed towards the couple.

=Hello there, can you understand me?= he asked hesitantly.

=Hello Gaoithe, of course we can. It's time that you transform and come to play with us,= Crookshanks replied in a gentle voice, while the dog sniffed at him with interest.

=Well, I didn't really come to play,= Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. =I wanted to ask if you have seen a man fleeing from the castle.=

=Who are you?= the dog queried, eyeing Gaoithe with large brown eyes. =Are you an Animagus?=

=I am Gaoithe Snape, and I am an Animagus. Why?= Gaoithe replied in surprise.

The black dog let out a long sigh, before he asked, =Do you by chance know the Weasley boy's rat?=

Gaoithe frowned. =I know that he has a rat, but that's all. Ron doesn't like me; so we don't speak with each other. Why do you ask?=

=Because he is a traitor. He is an Animagus as well, but he pretends to be a rat, because he is in hiding. He brought me into Azkaban, and I need to catch him in order to prove my innocence,= the dog blurted out heatedly, causing Gaoithe to look at him wide-eyed.

'_Azkaban... Wasn't that..._' Gaoithe's thoughts went haywire, before he let out a gasp. =Are you Sirius Black?= he suddenly asked, wondering if he should panic or trust the dog. '_Crookshanks wouldn't be with him if he was evil. If she trusts him, maybe Professor Lupin and everyone else were wrong_,' he thought.

=Yes, I am Sirius Black. I trust that you won't tell anyone about me.=

=I won't,= Gaoithe promised. =The Headmaster and everyone else think that you broke out of Azkaban to kill Harry Potter?= He looked at the dog questioningly.

The dog let out a snort and asked in obvious excitement =Harry Potter? Of course I wouldn't want to kill him. He is my godson, and I can't wait to meet him. Is he at Hogwarts?=

=I don't think so,= Gaoithe said slowly.

=Well, I'll be able to look for him as soon as I'm free. However, first of all, we need to catch that rat. His name is Peter Pettigrew.=

=Of course,= Gaoithe blurted out in excitement. =That's the name, which I always see on the Marauders' map, but my Dad thought that the map was wrong.=

=The Marauders' map is never wrong,= the dog informed him heatedly. =Why do you have the map in the first place? I made it together with my best friends.=

'_I better not tell him yet who I am_,' Gaoithe decided and merely said, =I received it from someone. I can show you the map, if you want to transform into your human form. You're safe here. If anyone comes, I'll flash us away.= Seeing that the dog nodded and transformed into a tall man, Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form and further into his human form and pulled the map out of his robe pocket.

"Show it to me," the man demanded, reaching for the parchment. He activated the map, and instants later, he pointed to the small dot labelled '_Peter Pettigrew_'. "He is in Gryffindor. Will you help me to catch him? You must be a natural Animagus. That's a very rare ability. Can you flash both of us into Gryffindor?"

"I can flash us straight into the dormitory," Gaoithe said hesitantly. "However, wouldn't it be better to ask my parents for help? My mother is the Head of Gryffindor. She could just walk into the dormitory and ask Ron to hand over his rat."

Sirius Black looked at Gaoithe in disbelief. "Wait... Who exactly are your parents?"

"Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall-Snape," Gaoithe replied, inwardly grinning as the man's eyes grew bigger.

"McGonagall and Snievellus? But she is at least twice as old as him, and she was our teacher, even my Head of House," he uttered in apparent confusion.

Gaoithe chuckled. "She was de-aged by chance two years ago, and they married last year. They're my adoptive parents. Anyway, shall I flash home and speak with them?"

"No," the man replied in determination. "Snape hates me. He'd take me back to Azkaban without even hearing me out. McGonagall would be great, but if they're married and living together..." He slowly trailed off, apparently deep in thought. "No," he said finally. "Can you flash me into the Gryffindor common room?"

"Of course. Just grab my tail feathers," Gaoithe agreed and transformed into his phoenix form. As soon as he felt Sirius hold on, he flashed straight into Ron's dormitory, where he once again changed into a lynx and jumped next to Ron's bed, quickly trying to grab Scabbers from a corner of Ron's bed.

Unfortunately, the rat noticed the danger too quickly and jumped off the bed, hurrying away through the room. As fast as he could, Gaoithe transformed into a kangaroo, recalling that a kangaroo was able to do huge jumps. He jumped after the rat and grabbed it with his small paws, before he carefully placed it into his pouch. '_I hope he won't be able to get out of there_,' he thought, feverishly pondering how to proceed. However, the rat managed to jump out of the pouch and dashed towards the door, before Gaoithe even realised what happened. He transformed back into his phoenix and further into his human form and turned to Sirius Black.

"I have an idea. Please trust me and once more grab my tail feathers," he instructed the man.

"Where are we going? We should run after him," Sirius replied.

"I know a better method. Please come on quickly," Gaoithe said firmly, before he transformed back, hoping that the man would comply. Fortunately, he seemed to trust Gaoithe and hurriedly grabbed the phoenix's tail feathers.

Gaoithe flashed straight into the Control Room and turned into his human form. "This map is similar to the Marauders' map," he explained, skimming the map for the Gryffindor common room. "Here," he said to Sirius, pointing to a small dot, which was moving away from the Gryffindor tower and along a corridor in a fast pace. '_Oh no_,' Gaoithe thought, terrified, as he realised to where the rat was heading. '_We must get him, before he reaches the secret passage on the third floor_.'

While Sirius was examining the map with interest, Gaoithe turned to the other wall and pressed the 'Wall' button, placing a wall in front of the rat, followed by another one a few metres behind it. "Quickly now," he instructed the man and transformed, flashing away as soon as he felt the weight on his tail feathers.

When they arrived in the corridor, which he had just turned into a small room, Gaoithe quickly transformed back into his human form. He pulled his wand and stunned the rat that was cowering in a corner, inefficiently trying to flee through a small hole in the wall.

"Very well done," Sirius commended him and held out his hand. "May I borrow your wand to conjure a cage?" he asked, smiling at the boy.

"Of course," Gaoithe said softly, handing over his wand, while he suspiciously eyed the stunned rat.

Instants later, he received his wand back, and a cage stood on the floor in front of him, containing a rat that was missing one front toe.

"That went well," Gaoithe said contentedly. "Shall I flash you to Professor Dumbledore?"

Sirius let out a long sigh. "That would probably be the best. However, I'd prefer to go in my dog form."

Gaoithe nodded in understanding. "Well then, let me flash back to the Control Room and get rid of these walls. Then I'll flash us in front of the Headmaster's office."

_tbc…_


	27. Chapter 27

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 27**

A few minutes later, Gaoithe hesitantly knocked at the Headmaster's door, glad that the gargoyle had let them pass without problems, but a bit hesitant upon realising that it was shortly after midnight. To his relief, the Headmaster was still sitting at his desk, reading what seemed to be an old tome. He looked up in surprise when Gaoithe entered the room with a cage containing a rat and a black dog in tow.

"Gaoithe, what are you doing here at this time of the night?" Dumbledore asked gently and motioned for the boy to take a seat.

#Some nestlings always have to get into trouble,# Fawkes trilled in obvious amusement.

"I did not get into trouble," Gaoithe said firmly, glaring at his feathered friend. "Professor, I went out for a flight on the grounds earlier tonight, and I met Sirius Black." Ignoring the Headmaster's gasp, he continued to explain what Sirius had told him about Peter Pettigrew.

Dumbledore looked at the cage with interest, before he queried, "Is it correct to assume that the dog is Mr. Black?"

"Yes sir," Gaoithe admitted, "but please hear him out."

The Headmaster nodded reassuringly and instructed the dog, "Mr. Black, please reveal yourself."

'_I hope that everything he told me is true_,' Gaoithe thought as he observed with interest as the dog transformed back into his human form. "Headmaster, please change the rat back," the man began to talk right away. "He was their Secret Keeper. They changed it, because it would have been too obvious with me. He arranged everything that happened, and then he cut off his finger and fled in his Animagus form."

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his beard, before he reached for the cage and carefully took the rat that was still stunned out. He placed it on the floor and pointed his wand at it, quietly uttering an incantation. Instantly, the rat transformed into a man. '_He looks a bit like a pig_,' Gaoithe thought, eyeing the man, who tried to flee from the room in vain, with disgust and hatred as he realised, '_He is the one, who is responsible for the death of my birth parents_.'

He was pulled out of his reverie when all of a sudden several Aurors stepped out of the fireplace. '_I didn't even notice that Dumbledore called them_,' Gaoithe thought, suddenly feeling very tired.

Apparently noticing that he could hardly keep his eyes open anymore, the Headmaster said gently, "Gaoithe, you are dismissed. Thank you for bringing the matter to my attention." Seeing that the boy hesitated, he added, "Come to my office tomorrow. You are excused from your two first morning classes. Good night, Gaoithe."

"Good night, sir," Gaoithe replied, casting a small smile at Sirius Black, who returned the smile.

"Thank you very much, Gaoithe," he said gratefully, before he turned to the Aurors, who were already questioning Pettigrew.

Gaoithe said good night to Fawkes and quietly left the room. As soon as he was through the door, he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed into his bedroom. '_I hope Mum and Dad didn't miss me_,' he thought but was so tired that he dismissed the thought the instant he changed back and hurriedly readied himself for bed. '_I'll go and ask Dumbledore or Fawkes what happened first thing in the morning_,' he resolved as he drifted off to sleep.

However, when his father woke him up in the morning, Gaoithe didn't have time to even think about what might have happened to Sirius Black and Ron's rat.

"Gaoithe, where have you been last night?" Severus asked sternly, glaring at Gaoithe, who rubbed his eyes, feverishly trying to wake up after the short night.

"In the Headmaster's office," Gaoithe replied sleepily, "until about one o'clock."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "In the Headmaster's office?" he asked in disbelief. "Does that mean that you have nothing to do with the pranks that have been played all over the castle during the night?"

"Pranks?" Gaoithe asked in confusion. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I've no idea what you're talking about." He tried in vain to suppress a yawn. "Professor Dumbledore excused me from my first morning classes. May I sleep a bit more?"

Before Severus could reply, Minerva entered the room, followed by Uisce, who crawled towards her adored big brother as fast as she could. She reached for the bed and pulled herself up, shouting "Gaa" in absolute delight.

'_So much about getting some more sleep_,' Gaoithe thought and sat up to pull the nine months old girl up and cuddle with her.

"Gaoithe had nothing to do with the matter. He spent the evening with Albus," Severus explained quickly, nodding calmingly at his wife, who seemed to be very upset.

"Thank Merlin," Minerva replied in apparent relief, before she turned to Gaoithe. "Why did you have to go to the Headmaster's office?"

Gaoithe sighed and carefully explained the events of the previous evening, while he absentmindedly cuddled with the baby. "Do you know what happened to Sirius Black and Pettigrew?" he asked curiously. "Dumbledore told me to come back to his office this morning."

"It's Professor Dumbledore, Gaoithe," Severus said sternly, before he added pensively, "I can't recall having seen Pettigrew at any of the Death Eaters' meetings, but that doesn't say anything. I don't think I saw Black either."

"Well, frankly speaking I'd be glad if it was like Gaoithe said, because Mr. Black was much closer to James Potter and a very nice boy," Minerva said, sighing. "Now what are we going to do about the walls? Gaoithe, can you flash to the Merlin Control Room and fix the halls please?"

"Of course, but what exactly happened?" Gaoithe asked in surprise, chuckling when his parents told him that all over the castle, there were walls in every single corridor that made it impossible to walk from one place to the other. "Probably Merlin again," Gaoithe sighed. "I don't know why we took the trouble to free that ghost. He is doing nothing but nonsense. Dad or Mum, can one of you come and help me?"

"Of course," Severus replied. "I'll go with you. Sorry, Uisce, Gaoithe will be back in a few minutes," he said to his daughter, who was sitting in Gaoithe's lap, happily sucking her thumb.

Gaoithe placed a kiss on her soft cheek, before he carefully pushed her away, transformed and flashed into the Control Room with Severus. In disbelief, he realised that his parents had not exaggerated if they had told him that there were walls in each single corridor. '_This is going to take ages_,' he thought, terrified, just when Ghost Merlin entered the room.

"What do you think you're doing here?" the Ghost asked.

"What do you think you are doing, Merlin?" Gaoithe asked back, pointing to the wall. "How is everyone supposed to get around Hogwarts, if you close all the corridors?"

"That was necessary. A dangerous man is inside the castle," Merlin said haughtily. "He escaped from Azkaban and is said to have come to Hogwarts to kill someone. Peeves told me everything about him."

Gaoithe and Severus let out simultaneous groans. "Merlin, I am not aware of the current whereabouts of Mr. Black, but leave it to the Headmaster and the Aurors to decide if he is dangerous. Now you have exactly five minutes to take all these walls off, which you saw fit to add during the night. Otherwise, my colleagues and I are going to do some intense research on appropriate measurements against ghosts," Severus said in a deadly cold voice.

"Very well, Professor," Merlin said immediately. "I won't get myself into trouble with the Head of Slytherin anymore." He pressed a few selected buttons in quick succession, causing Gaoithe to glare at him.

"When were you going to inform me about this feature?" he queried in an upset voice.

However, the ghost merely chuckled and swept away through the wall. Severus and Gaoithe exchanged an exasperated look, before Severus asked, "Well then, shall we return home? Seeing that the walls are gone, your mother and I don't have an excuse to miss breakfast anymore. By the way, if you're exempt from your morning classes, would you mind keeping Uisce with you?"

Gaoithe sighed. "Since I'm awake anyway, I'm going to attend classes, but I can take Uisce with me, if she doesn't mind."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Of course she won't mind. You are her absolute hero. Very well then, if she gives you any trouble, just take her to your mother, me or Professor Pomfrey."

"All right," Gaoithe agreed. "I'll take her from breakfast onwards, because I'd like to flash to the Headmaster's office before breakfast. I want to know what happened after I left last night."

風の力を持つハリー

A few minutes later, Gaoithe flashed straight onto Fawkes' perch. Seeing that the Headmaster was alone in his office, he trilled, #I'm sorry for intruding, sir. Do you have a few minutes for me?#

Hearing Fawkes' translation, Dumbledore nodded and said gently, "Of course, Gaoithe. Transform back and let's have breakfast together."

Gaoithe jumped down onto the ground and changed into his human form, while the professor called Twinkle and asked for breakfast for the two of them. He took the offered seat and looked at the Headmaster in expectation. "What happened, sir?" he asked curiously, noticing in relief that Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.

"Gaoithe, you did a great job last night," Dumbledore finally said. "The Aurors questioned Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew under Veritaserum, and apparently, Mr. Black was telling you the truth. He will, however, have to face a trial relatively soon. In fact, the Aurors wanted to take him into custody together with Mr. Pettigrew, but I could talk them out of it, and they agreed to leave him under my supervision at Hogwarts." Seeing that Gaoithe glanced around curiously, he continued, "At the moment, he is in the hospital wing in Professor Pomfrey's care. He is in dire need of proper food and potions." He let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, do you know that your parents named Mr. Black your godfather along with Alice Longbottom?"

"Yes sir, Professor Lupin told me so," Gaoithe replied, before he asked hesitantly, "Do you think that I should tell him about my real identity? Won't my father mind? As far as I know, they hate each other."

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his beard, before he reached out for the bowl with lemon drops, holding it out to Gaoithe. "Take one, Gaoithe. They make a great dessert."

Inwardly rolling his eyes, Gaoithe obediently took one, absentmindedly playing with the sweet in his hands, while he waited for the Headmaster to answer his question.

"Gaoithe, I suggest that you speak with your parents first. Ask them if you should reveal yourself to him and if your father is willing to get along with Mr. Black for your sake," Dumbledore said gently.

Gaoithe sighed, before he said softly, "Professor, my father took me in, when no one else was there to take care of me. I now have a real family with parents and a sister for the first time in my life, and I am really happy. I don't need anyone else. I know I also have a godmother now, and she is really nice, but it's not important anymore. If Sirius can get along with Dad, I'd love to have a godfather as well, but if they only fight like they apparently did in their school days, I..." He interrupted himself to glance at his watch. "Oh no, Professor, I am sorry, but I promised to take care of my sister this morning. I have to hurry to the Great Hall to fetch her," he said quickly. "I completely forgot the time."

"That's all right, my boy; don't worry," the Headmaster replied gently. "I'd like to hear what you decide concerning Mr. Black some time."

Gaoithe promised to inform the Headmaster and quickly flashed in front of the Great Hall to fetch Uisce.

"Gaoithe, are you sure that you want to take her?" Minerva asked softly, giving him a piercing look.

"Of course, Mum," Gaoithe replied, smiling. "Uisce, do you want to go to class with me?" he asked, carefully tickling the baby's belly.

Uisce giggled and hold out both hands to Gaoithe. "Go Gee," she cheered, and everyone sitting at the Head table laughed.

"Uh oh, Minerva, the young lady won't be willing to accompany you or Severus to class anymore," Professor Flitwick said, chuckling, when Gaoithe scooped Uisce in his arm, taking his school bag and the bag with nappies and toys for Uisce, which his mother handed him, over his shoulder.

"As long as she doesn't disturb any class, I don't mind," Minerva replied, smiling proudly at her children as she observed Uisce snuggling happily into Gaoithe's robes.

"Nor do I," Severus agreed, smirking.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe learned soon that it wasn't easy to follow classes with a baby witch, especially one as alert as his sister, on his lap. His first morning class was Charms. He chose a seat in the last row with Hermione on his left and Neville on his right side. Uisce was in a very good mood. She made herself comfortable on his lap and cheered at everyone, especially at the third year girls, who were fawning over her. However, as soon as Gaoithe pulled his wand in order to practise the gyroscope charm, which Professor Flitwick had just introduced, the Charms class turned out into one that Gaoithe would not easily forget.

Uisce insisted that she was the one in need of the wand. She reached for the wand and held it close in her tiny fingers, wailing immediately when Gaoithe tried to carefully pry her fingers off. Gaoithe rolled his eyes in annoyance. '_I can't believe that she is so strong in spite of being a baby_,' he thought; however, in order to attract as less attention as possible, he let go off the wand and cast the spell wandlessly. Seeing that the gyroscope on the desk in front of her began to move, Uisce squealed in delight, causing the whole class to laugh. Apparently liking the attention and the smiles, which she received, Uisce happily reached for the moving object. She pushed her small hands forward, still tightly holding on to Gaoithe's wand, and as she unconsciously pointed the wand at the gyroscope, it moved up into the air and began to dance around the classroom. While everyone watched the gyroscope's movement in awe and Uisce squealed happily, Gaoithe blushed terribly and wondered why he had been so stupid to offer taking his sister to class with him. He sighed in relief, when Professor Flitwick stepped in and cast the 'Finite Incantatem' spell at the rotating object.

"Very well done, young lady," the professor commended Uisce, who was enjoying herself greatly.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Gaoithe said quietly as he finally managed to pry the baby's fingers off his wand and handed Uisce her plush teddy.

"No problem, Mr. Snape," Flitwick replied gently. "A little fun is always good, and you have to agree that this was an excellent display of magic."

風の力を持つハリー

By the end of the class, Uisce was peacefully asleep in Gaoithe's arms with her plush teddy in its phoenix form safely tucked under her arm and a small thumb in her mouth.

"She's adorable," Hermione said, chuckling, as she helped Gaoithe to gather his belongings at the end of the class.

"Only when she's asleep," Gaoithe replied, rolling his eyes at his fawning classmates. "I just hope she's going to sleep through Transfiguration. Otherwise, my mother won't allow me to take her with me ever again. She is not as nice as Professor Flitwick if someone disturbs her class."

Apparently, Uisce was utterly exhausted from the accidental magic that she had performed earlier. She remained fast asleep during the double Transfiguration class and only woke up when her mother gently took her out of Gaoithe's arm.

"Geee," she protested vehemently, reaching for her brother.

"I know, sweetie, but it's time for lunch," Minerva said, smiling. "Aren't you hungry?"

Apparently, the thought of food made Uisce change her mind, and she contentedly snuggled into her mother's arm. Gaoithe unconsciously let out a relieved sigh as he turned around to follow his classmates into the Great Hall.

"Gaoithe?" Minerva called him back in a soft voice. "Thank you for taking Uisce this morning. It was very refreshing to be able to teach without having to watch her for once. I hope it was all right for you?"

Gaoithe smiled. "She was great, and she enjoyed herself very much. I can take her anytime. I'll fetch her again after lunch if you want."

"I have a free period after lunch, so I can watch her myself. You look very tired, Gaoithe," Minerva replied in concern. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I just didn't get enough sleep last night," Gaoithe replied, yawning.

"Perhaps you should go to bed early tonight, if you can manage to stay awake until then," Minerva said, fondly ruffling Gaoithe's hair.

"I think I'll do that. I'd like to speak with you and Dad about something tonight though," Gaoithe replied, sighing. '_Dad won't like it_,' he thought. During his afternoon classes, he was hardly able to concentrate and couldn't help his thoughts drifting off. '_I wonder what Sirius Black is going to do once he is free. Professor Lupin will be very happy to have one of his best friends back, although he seems to get along well with Dad and Professor Longbottom_.'

Deep in thoughts during his History of Magic class, Gaoithe slowly drifted off to slumber. He slept peacefully, until a stern voice interrupted a most interesting wizard's duell between his father and Sirius Black. "Mr. Snape, what do you think you're doing?"

Gaoithe blinked. As he glanced around, he saw that he was still in the History of Magic classroom. However, almost everyone had already left the room. Merely Hermione, Neville, Blaise and Draco were standing around him. "How dare you sleep through your classes?" Draco asked in the same stern voice, causing Gaoithe to sigh in relief.

"Draco, don't give me such a fright," he said, smirking. He was just about to leave the classroom together with his friends, when Yuki appeared and landed on the table in front of him. Astonished because Yuki hardly ever followed him into the classrooms, Gaoithe wiped a few pieces of ice from his face, before he asked, "Hi Yuki, what's wrong?"

#Your mother sent me to tell you that she would like to talk to you, before your father comes home,# Yuki trilled. #Shall I flash you home right away?#

Inwardly groaning Gaoithe agreed and quickly explained the matter to his friends, before he carefully grabbed Yuki's tail feathers and was whisked away. When he arrived in the living room, his mother was just feeding Uisce. She cast him a stern look that made Gaoithe wince inwardly. '_What did I do now?_' he wondered. '_Is she upset because she heard about what happened in Charms this morning?_'

However, Minerva began to speak in a gentler voice than he had expected. "Gaoithe, Professor Dumbledore told me what happened yesterday. He also told me that he suggested for you to speak with your father, before you approach Mr. Black."

'_That meddling old coot_,' Gaoithe thought in annoyance, before he replied in a slightly upset voice, "No Mum, he told me to speak with both of you, not only with Dad, and that was exactly what I wanted to talk about with you tonight."

"That's all right, Gaoithe. I'm not scolding you in any way," Minerva said softly. "I just wanted to explain something to you in advance." Seeing that the boy looked at her with interest, she continued, "Your birth father, James Potter, and Sirius Black were very nice boys. However, they were children, and just like you have your difficulties with Ronald Weasley, for example, although this is in no way your fault, they had difficulties with your father, mainly because he was a Slytherin and they were very proud Gryffindors. The two of them played pranks on him, sometimes bad pranks as I have to admit, and he avenged himself with prank potions, putting them into the hospital wing several times."

Gaoithe listened with interest that turned into horror when Minerva told him how Sirius had lured Severus to the Shrieking Shack during the full moon and James had finally saved his life. "If you ask me, Sirius had no intention to get Severus killed. He was just very immature and impulsive and wanted to shock Severus, but he was not a murderer. However, for your father, apparently it was a shock for life." She let out a long sigh. "Now both of them are adults and supposed to be more mature; however, I just wanted to make sure that you know how bad their relationship was."

"Mum," Gaoithe said quietly. "I don't need anyone else in my life. I'm glad that I could help Mr. Black, but I won't reveal myself to him."

Minerva sighed. "Gaoithe, I think..." She interrupted herself, when Severus entered the room and stepped over to her to kiss her, before he picked up Uisce, who had just finished drinking.

"Hello my princess," he said softly, "I heard that you entertained everyone well this morning."

"She did what?" Minerva asked sharply, looking from Severus to Gaoithe.

"Oh well, I'll better go and do my homework," Gaoithe said quickly. "I'll be back after dinner." Seeing that his parents nodded their agreement, he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed away. However, instead of returning to the Merlin common room, he suddenly decided to flash to the hospital wing and look for Sirius Black.

"Gaoithe, what are you doing here?" Pomfrey asked in surprise, collecting her parchments that were scattered on the floor due to Gaoithe's arrival in her office with a gust of wind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor," Gaoithe said sheepishly after transforming back. "I'd like to see Sirius Black for a few minutes."

Pomfrey gave him a sharp look and nodded. "All right, Gaoithe. He is in the first of the teachers' rooms."

Gaoithe thanked his Head of House and left her office through the back door. To his surprise, Professor Lupin was just with his friend. '_Thank Merlin, so I don't have to speak with him alone_,' he thought in relief, absentmindedly listening when Sirius thanked him profusely for helping him with the rat and the Headmaster.

"You're welcome, sir," Gaoithe said softly. "By the way, I'd like to suggest something to you."

Seeing that Sirius looked at him in expectation, he said slowly, "I promise that I will help you to search for Harry Potter, if you apologize to my father for what you did to him when you were students at Hogwarts." He unsurely looked at Professor Lupin.

The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher smiled at Gaoithe, and before Sirius could even think of a reply, he said, "Gaoithe, I believe that this is a very good idea, and Sirius, I suggest that you accept Gaoithe's suggestion."

Sirius let out a snort. "How in the world would a Snape be able to help me find my godson? He doesn't even know him. And apologize to Snievellus? Why would I?"

"Perhaps because I am a phoenix Animagus and as such able to flash to any person," Gaoithe replied, smirking. "Oh well, you can think about it and inform me through Professor Lupin." He turned around to leave the room, when Sirius called him back.

"Let me guess. You're a Slytherin."

"No," Gaoithe replied, rolling his eyes. "I am in Merlin House." He explained to the surprised man about the fifth House.

"Sounds cool," Sirius admitted, "but still nothing against Gryffindor."

"Severus has changed a lot since our Hogwarts days," Lupin threw in thoughtfully. "Probably because he has a family now. He and Gaoithe cured me from lycanthropy..."

"They what?" his friend asked in apparent delight. "You got rid of your furry problem? Wow, that's the best thing I heard during the last twelve years. All right then," he added in a more subdued voice, "I'll try to speak with him. Gaoithe, please ask your father to meet me as soon as possible. Don't misunderstand me though. I'm only doing this because I want to know where my godson is."

Gaoithe chuckled as he left the room. However, when he returned home after dinner in the Great Hall, he felt strangely nervous. '_I hope Dad will take this well_,' he thought as he stepped over to Yuki and gently stroked her head feathers.

"Gaoithe, your mother told me that you wanted to speak with us about something?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at his son as he made himself comfortable in his favourite arm chair.

Gaoithe sat down as well and, seeing that Minerva gave him a comforting nod, he began hesitantly, "I was thinking if I should reveal myself to Sirius Black. He told me that he was Harry Potter's godfather and wanted to search for him as soon as he was free." He anxiously looked at his father.

Severus brought his forefingers up to his temples and slowly massaged them, before he let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, it is of course up to you if you reveal yourself to your godfather, and I will respect your decision. However, I'd like you to think well about the matter," he said thoughtfully. "Since he is your godfather, he probably intends to gain the guardianship over you and take you in."

"But he can't do that, can he?" Gaoithe asked in shock. "You became my father when you adopted me. So he can't take me away from here."

"No Gaoithe, he can't," Minerva said softly, gently ruffling his hair.

"Not if you don't want it," Severus slightly corrected his wife, quirking an eyebrow.

Gaoithe sighed in relief. "Of course I don't want it. I'm so glad to have parents and a sister now. It's just that I'd feel pity for him to have him search for me. If he had come to fetch me from the Dursleys before I came to Hogwarts, I'd have been delighted. But now, the three of you are my family, and I don't need anyone else. Still, I think it would be all right to at least know him just like I know Aunt Alice." He fidgeted in his seat. '_Why do things have to be so difficult? Why can't everyone get along with everyone? I can't understand that. I'd love to get to know my birth father's best friend at least a bit, but of course, Mum, Dad and Uisce are far more important_.'

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Severus broke the silence. "Very well then, I'll try not to kill the mangy mutt."

Gaoithe chuckled. "Thank you, Dad. Can you come with me to speak with him, please?"

Severus looked at his son in shock. "You want me to accompany you?" he finally asked. "And why is that?"

"Err... You're my father, and I feel safer when you're with me," Gaoithe said quietly. It was the truth. Not only because of the condition that Sirius had to apologize to Severus he wanted his father to accompany him, but he needed his father's reassurance.

The Potions Master sighed. "All right then, let's get over with it," he said darkly.

"Thank you, Sev," Minerva said softly and kissed her husband, while Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form.

Like earlier in the afternoon, Gaoithe flashed into Pomfrey's office and transformed back, before he led his father into the small room, where he had visited Sirius earlier. '_I hope Professor Lupin is still there. He'd surely be a great help_,' he thought and hesitantly entered the room. To his relief, the professor was still there, and the two friends were talking with each other in an apparently good mood.

"Good evening. I'm sorry to disturb again, but I brought my father," he said softly as he stepped away from the door, revealing Severus behind him.

"Lupin, Black," the Potions Master acknowledged the other men's presence.

"Severus," Lupin replied and rose from his seat. "Come and sit here. I believe that the two of you have something to talk about."

Severus declined to take the offered space, and Gaoithe quietly cast the Defence professor a pleading look, mouthing, "Please stay, sir." He inwardly sighed in relief when Lupin gave him a comforting nod and sat down again.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Snape, I have to thank you."

Severus quirked an eyebrow, and Gaoithe noticed that he looked less stressed than just a minute ago.

"For curing Remus from his furry little problem," Sirius elaborated.

Severus slightly inclined his head, before he said, "You have to thank my son. He is the one, who was able to read and translate Salazar Slytherin's recipe, so that we could brew the wolfscure."

"Thank you," Sirius said to Gaoithe, who quickly shook his head, feeling totally embarrassed at the unexpected praise.

"Snape," Sirius began to speak again, sighing. "I probably also need to apologize for what I did to you in our fifth year. Well, we were young, and I have to admit I was reckless, but I hope, now that we're adults, even if I missed most part of my adulthood so far, that you can forgive me."

'_Wow, that was cool_,' Gaoithe thought, looking at his godfather in admiration.

"Well, it's a long time ago," Severus said slowly. "However, there are things, which can not be easily forgotten and forgiven, like attempted murder."

Gaoithe gave his father a piercing look, but the tall man's face was absolutely expressionless as he continued, "We shall see if you manage to behave yourself in the future. I hope that you will be able, at least for Gaoithe's sake."

Feeling the man's eyes cast on himself, Gaoithe sighed. "Mr. Black, thank you for apologising to my father. I really appreciate it. Well, there is something that I need to tell you..." He slowly trailed off, looking uncertainly at his father.

"It's all right, Gaoithe. Go on," Severus said in a much softer voice than that, which he had used towards his childhood enemy.

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said, smiling at his father, before he turned to Sirius. "I am Harry Potter."

"Sirius, before you say anything, which you might regret later, Gaoithe is indeed Harry Potter. However, he was blood adopted by Severus a few years ago, and only very few people know about his true identity," Professor Lupin said gently.

"Only our colleagues are aware of the matter, and we would like to keep it at that," Severus added, glaring at Sirius.

"Wait... Are you trying to tell me that Harry Potter, James' son, my godson, is a SNAPE?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

"Sirius, behave yourself," Professor Lupin scolded him immediately.

"Oh well, I'll have to get used to that news," Sirius said, shaking his head as he looked at Gaoithe. "Harry, are you really Harry? Do you know that I am your godfather? I survived twelve years in Azkaban, because I knew that you were out there and needed me."

"No sir, I am Gaoithe. Harry is my birth name, but I changed my name, when my father adopted me," Gaoithe said firmly. "I needed you badly when I was small and at the Dursleys, but now I have a family, and I am probably the happiest person in the world." He stepped so close to his father that Severus automatically laid an arm around Gaoithe's shoulders.

Sirius looked very disappointed as he asked, "Are you still my godson?"

Before Gaoithe could reply affirmatively, the Headmaster stepped into the room. Gaoithe looked at the old wizard in concern, noticing that he looked even older than normal, and his eyes were void of their usual twinkle.

"I have bad news, and it's all my fault," Dumbledore said gravely. He looked at Sirius. "I forgot to remind the Aurors that Pettigrew is a rat Animagus, and he managed to escape from his cell in the Ministry."

"That's not your fault, sir," Gaoithe was the first to reply. "The Aurors knew how he spent the last twelve years, didn't they?"

"Exactly," Lupin agreed, looking at his friend in concern. "Sirius, it's all right. More than enough people saw him. Don't worry; you will be free after the trial."

"That's out of the question," the Headmaster said thoughtfully. "Gaoithe, I and the Aurors saw him and can confirm that he is alive. However, this only proves that Sirius didn't kill Peter, but it doesn't prove that he was not the Secret Keeper of the Potters and that he didn't kill the Muggles."

"But the Aurors questioned Pettigrew under Veritaserum," Gaoithe threw in heatedly. "They can show the memory during the trial."

"Headmaster, do I need to go into hiding?" Sirius asked sharply.

Dumbledore sighed. "Probably, this is not needed; however, I'd suggest that you think about a secret place, where you could hide quickly if it became necessary, just to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, Hogwarts would be the first place for the Minister to search in case that they don't accept the memories during the trial."

"I know a safe place within Hogwarts that no one except for Gaoithe is able to access," Severus spoke up thoughtfully.

"Oh right, Salazar's chamber," Gaoithe blurted out and quickly explained to Sirius about Salazar's secret rooms.

"Thank you, Snape and Gaoithe," Sirius said in apparent relief. "If you don't mind, I'll use those rooms if necessary."

"Remus, Sirius, Severus, does any of you have an idea where to look for Peter Pettigrew?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Albus, you know as well as any of us that he'll be able to hide everywhere, if he stays in his rat Animagus form, which he will certainly do."

Dumbledore let out a long sigh. "I believe that it is time for me to retire. I am too old for this job." Seeing that everyone looked at him in shock, he chuckled. "Don't worry; that won't be easy, because I first have to convince Minerva to take my position."

"Maybe that won't be so difficult," Severus spoke up, smirking. "Today, she even considered taking a year off from teaching, after hearing of Uisce's performance in Gaoithe's Charms class."

Gaoithe looked at his father in horror. "Oh no, Dad. I'm sorry. I should have..."

"No Gaoithe; there was nothing you could do about it. Children do accidental magic, even if I'm not sure how high the accidental part was in this case," Severus said calmingly. "However, it would be easier for your mother if she was the Headmistress, and Uisce could play in her office. You and I would still have to take her sometimes."

"Exactly," the Headmaster agreed, nodding contentedly. "I'll go and ask her." With that he left the room, leaving everyone deep in thoughts about the recent developments.

"Very well then," Severus said, glancing at his wrist watch. "It's time for Gaoithe and me to leave as well. Black, if you need a ride to the Chamber, just ask Pomfrey to contact us through the Floo. I'm not able to take you there, but Gaoithe or his phoenix familiar Yuki can."

"Thank you, Severus," Sirius replied gratefully. "It really means a lot to me that I'll still be able to remain at Hogwarts in the worst case. Thank you, Gaoithe."

"You're welcome, Godfather," Gaoithe replied, chuckling. "Good night."

When Severus and Gaoithe arrived at home, Minerva was just feeding Uisce.

"Did Albus come to speak with you?" Severus queried, surprised not to see the Headmaster with his wife.

"No," Minerva said in surprise. "Why? Well, maybe he tried, but I shut off the fireplace, because I'm feeding Uisce."

Severus quickly explained what had happened earlier, causing Minerva to become very thoughtful.

"Mum? Dad?" Gaoithe suddenly spoke up. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have an idea."

Seeing that his parents looked at him in expectation, Gaoithe asked, "If Pettigrew is in his rat form, will I be able to flash to him?"

Minerva and Severus exchanged a confused glance, before both of them nodded, and Severus said, "Of course. However, I won't let you go alone. I'll come with you and try to stun him, so that we can catch him."

"No Severus," Minerva shook his head and handed him Uisce, who had just finished drinking. "Here, take your daughter and make her burp please. I'm going to go with Gaoithe."

"Minerva, you're only a cat Animagus. I am a lynx. I'd be much safer than you," Severus protested; however, Minerva replied firm.

"Gaoithe, are you fit enough to leave right away, or do you want to wait until the morning and get some sleep first?" Minerva asked gently.

Now feeling fully awake, Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form, invitingly turning his back towards Minerva. When he felt her hold on to his tail feathers, he thought of the pig-like man and his rat form and flashed away.

風の力を持つハリー

They arrived in a very dark place. Gaoithe blinked, but he could barely recognise his surroundings. '_It smells like fish_,' he mused, '_and the ground is muddy_.' He felt a small movement as his mother pulled her wand and wondered, '_Where is Pettigrew?_' All of a sudden, Minerva cast a stunning spell. '_Did she just stun Pettigrew? How could she see the rat?_' Gaoithe wondered, feeling totally stupid. '_Maybe I should transform in something else. My phoenix form doesn't seem adequate_,' he thought, looking up in shock, when the witch cast a spell that lit the place up brightly.

Minerva pointed at a stunned rat on the floor. "Is that Pettigrew?" she queried.

#He is missing a toe. Yes, that's Pettigrew,# Gaoithe confirmed. #Mum?# he asked hesitantly, #How did you find him? I couldn't see anything.#

Minerva chuckled as she once again pointed her wand at the rat. "My cat instincts," she said, smirking, before she cast a complicated spell and waved her wand over the rat in a fast movement.

Gaoithe curiously observed the scene, looking at his mother in pure amazement as he picked up the wooden rat from the floor. "A wooden rat won't be able to escape," Minerva said dryly and took the rat from Gaoithe, safely pocketing it in her robes. "All right then, shall we go home?"

Gaoithe happily complied, not overly liking the place that looked like an old, unused warehouse. #Mum was absolutely cool,# Gaoithe blurted out as soon as he flashed into the living room.

Severus raised an eyebrow at his wife, who showed him the piece of wood in form of a rat. "I'll take him to Albus, before Uisce discovers what she would think of as a new toy," Minerva said, chuckling, and headed to the fireplace.

#Thank Merlin it's Saturday tomorrow,# Gaoithe trilled, letting out a huge yawn. #Good night, Mum, Dad.#

_tbc..._


	28. Chapter 28

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 28**

When Minerva stepped out of the fireplace in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was playing with his computer.

"Albus," Minerva gasped. "Did you manage to get it to work?"

Dumbledore cast her an exasperated look. "Well, with Gaoithe's and Filius' help, I found a charm that turned out to be a breakthrough. However, it only works for thirty minutes, and then we'll have to wait for a day, before it will accept the charm again."

"That sounds impressive," Minerva commended her colleague, wondering why Gaoithe had not said anything about the matter. '_Maybe we just were too busy recently_,' she thought. '_Everything is revolving about Uisce, and Gaoithe is helping out everyone with everything. Perhaps I should spend more time speaking with him about his own matters_.'

She was pulled out of her thoughts, when Dumbledore let out a long sigh and said, "Minerva, I'm thinking of retiring as Headmaster, provided that you were ready to accept the position."

"Severus said so," Minerva replied briskly. "However, I do not understand why you want to quit your position all of a sudden. What are you going to do?"

Dumbledore chuckled and offered Minerva a lemon drop, which she declined, glaring at him in exasperation. "Albus, you should know better than to lemon-drop me. Tell me what you're up to," she scolded him lightly.

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his long beard, before he replied, "I'd like to fully concentrate on my computer research. I didn't speak with Filius and Gaoithe yet, but I hope that they will still be willing to work together with me, even if I won't be at Hogwarts anymore."

"What does that mean?" Minerva asked sharply. "Are you going to reside at Dumbledore Manor? Why don't you stay at Hogwarts? One of my first tasks as Headmistress will be to set up a research position, and we'll be in dire need of an experienced researcher. Also, you'll be able to live in your quarters as long as you wish, because I am not going to move. I love our huge quarters that reach from the seventh floor in Gryffindor tower to the Slytherin dungeons and have a connecting door to Merlin, the optimal place for a Headmistress to live."

Dumbledore chuckled again. "Very well, Minerva, if that's your opinion, I'd prefer to remain at Hogwarts of course. I'd still love to keep an eye on Gaoithe, even if I know that he is in best hands with his parents and two godparents now." He took an officially looking parchment from his desk and handed it to Minerva. "If you could sign this..."

Minerva gave him a sharp look. "Albus, are you really sure that this is what you want? Will you at least be willing to be my Deputy?"

Her old friend's eyes began to twinkle merrily. "Thank you so much for offering the position to me, Minerva. I'd love to work as the Deputy Headmaster. However, I must ask you, are you sure that you do not prefer to share your position with your husband?"

Minerva let out a snort. "I am already sharing our quarters, two children and many more things with my husband. Apart from that, he is extremely busy, being the Potions professor, Potions Master, Head of Slytherin and father to Gaoithe and Uisce. I do not wish him to be burdened by anything else. If you didn't agree, I'd rather ask Frank, even knowing that Alice would want to kill me, especially since they're expecting a baby now too."

"Twinkle," Dumbledore called his house-elf and ordered him to transfer Minerva's complete office into the round Head office and to connect the Headmistress' office with the Snapes' quarters by the morning.

"Twinkle," Minerva added gently, "Please arrange for a research office with a second room that contains four work spaces, and connect the office with Professor Dumbledore's quarters." Turning to Dumbledore, she said thoughtfully, "Albus, I'll still have to fulfil my positions as Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor. Can we make the change official at the end of the school year, provided that we find an adequate successor by then?"

Dumbledore smirked. "I already have someone in mind, and if everything goes well, he'll be able to take over your positions in two weeks' time." Seeing that Minerva looked at him in disbelief, he explained, "I believe that Mr. Black would make a good Transfiguration teacher, and he is definitely a Gryffindor."

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Minerva blurted out, slapping her right hand against her forehead, before she pulled the wooden rat out of her robe pocket. "Albus, this is Pettigrew. Please keep him safe for me until the trial." She quickly told Dumbledore about her short trip with Gaoithe earlier that evening.

"I shall contact the Minister in the morning and tell him that the rat is safe and that we need a trial as soon as possible," Dumbledore promised, and his eyes were still twinkling merrily.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe woke up in the morning, Minerva was sitting on the edge of his bed. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she said, smiling.

"Mum," Gaoithe mumbled tiredly, "is something wrong?"

"No," Minerva replied, sighing. "I just thought that we have all been too busy recently, and I was wondering if everything was all right with you. I'm sorry; everything seems to revolve around Uisce and her needs..."

"Mum," Gaoithe said softly, rolling his eyes in annoyance, although he had to admit to himself that he felt very happy at his mother's thoughtfulness. "Everything is all right. Did you take the rat to the Headmaster? Oh and we need to tell Sirius Black that you caught him, and..." He swallowed hard, before he continued, "I have to speak with Ronald Weasley, because I took the rat from him. He will be missing him by now, but I completely forgot..."

Minerva sighed. "I think you are the only one to remember such things. You are right, and we will speak with Mr. Weasley together. However, I did not ask you about others; I wanted to know how you were feeling. Is everything all right? Do you have any problems with any of the teachers, with your classmates, etc.?"

Gaoithe sighed. "The only problem I have is Transfiguration. I just can't get the spells right. Other than that, everything is all right."

Minerva playfully ruffled his hair. "Gaoithe, in fact, your performance in Transfiguration has improved greatly ever since you returned from the past, so that you don't have any reason to worry about that. I believe that your problems, if there are any at all, still result from the fact that you're better at wandless magic than at wand magic. Anyway, if you encounter problems, just tell me and I'll try to help you."

"Mum," Gaoithe spoke up hesitantly. "I know that you're very busy, but could you perhaps come to Diagon Alley with Ronald and me, so that I can buy a new familiar for him? I have enough money from what we received for the wolfscure, don't I?"

"Of course we can do that, Gaoithe," Minerva replied in surprise. "I'll go and fetch Mr. Weasley to my office. We just have an hour left before lunch, so it's time for you to get up anyway. Come into my office when you're ready."

"All right," Gaoithe agreed, although his stomach began to do flip-flops at the thought of having to tell Ron what he did to Scabbers.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe hesitantly entered his mother's new office, he saw to his surprise that not only Ronald Weasley, but also Fred, George, Percy and Ginny were assembled. Everyone was staring at Ron and Percy, who had both shocked expressions on their faces, but looked up when Gaoithe appeared in the doorframe.

"Gaoithe wanted to personally apologize to Ronald for taking his rat away," Minerva explained gently, motioning for her son to sit between the twins and Ginny.

"He does not have to apologize. It is not his fault that the rat was a criminal," Percy spoke up immediately. "In fact, I always wondered how long he would have to live, considering that he was very old for a normal rat."

"I'd say..."

"... Good riddance," the twins threw in, smirking.

"Ronald," Gaoithe said in a soft voice, feeling very much reassured by the other Weasley boys' presence, "I'd like to buy a new familiar for you. Would you come with me to Diagon Alley, so that you can choose what you would like?"

"Gaoithe, you don't have to do that," Percy replied, before Ron could show any reaction to the offer.

"I want to," Gaoithe said quietly, glancing at Ron.

"You better accept that offer, Ronald..."

"... Otherwise, you won't get any familiar for a long time," the twins informed their brother in a sing-song that made Gaoithe chuckle inwardly and probably annoyed their younger brother immensely.

"I don't need Snape's money. I don't need a familiar," Ron said stubbornly, causing his sister to jump from her seat and step in front of her brother.

"Ron, you're incredibly stupid. Accept that offer if you don't want to regret your decision afterwards," she said in a voice that would have made her mother proud.

"No one will have to know where you got your familiar," Gaoithe offered in a small voice, looking at the other boy in expectation. "I promise that I won't tell anyone."

Finally, Ron shrugged and said, "Okay."

"Very well then; we'll leave straight after lunch," Minerva said decisively and dismissed the students.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe felt slightly uncomfortable as he walked from the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley together with his mother and Ronald Weasley. Fully aware of the fact that Minerva was Ron's Head of House, he didn't feel comfortable enough to speak with his mother, and he didn't know how to talk with Ron, so that they strode towards the Magical Menagerie. When they entered the shop that was slightly dark and full with all kinds of animals, Gaoithe looked around with interest. There were cats of every colour, huge purple toads, rabbits, tortoises and snakes. Suddenly, his eyes fell on an enormous, orange toad that was spitting out a brown mass that looked like a frog.

"What are those?" Gaoithe blurted out, staring at the animal.

Minerva and Ron followed his gaze, chuckling when Gaoithe suddenly jumped back, startled, as the frog took a jump into his direction.

"This is a very rare magical toad," the owner, a plump witch, who was wearing heavy black spectacles, explained enthusiastically. "If he is fed with the Saccharum Exspuero Potion once a month and receives one cup of cocoa on a weekly basis, he spits out chocolate frogs. "Care to try one?" She held one out to Ronald, before she turned to the toad. "Two more please, Wonka."

"Wonka?" Ron blurted out, giving the witch a questioning look.

"Oh well, that's from a Muggle film, in which a Mr. Wonka owns a chocolate factory," the witch explained patiently. "He is a rare species. Are you interested?"

"No no," Ron replied quickly. "I wouldn't be able to feed him a special potion every month."

"Is that a normal potion?" Gaoithe enquired. "I mean a potion, which can be brewed with normal ingredients? If so I can brew it for you," he offered, turning to Ron.

"It doesn't afford any rare ingredients; however, it is a bit difficult to brew for small boys," the witch replied, eyeing Gaoithe disparagingly.

"My son is able to brew the wolfscure potion and is about to receive the Order of Merlin first class for curing werewolves together with his father," Minerva said firmly, using the tone, which she normally reserved for students in detention.

'Thank you, Mum,' Gaoithe thought to his mother, feeling very grateful that Minerva had stood up for him.

"Oh well, then it won't be a problem for the young man," the witch said quickly and in a much gentler tone. "You managed to brew a cure for the werewolves? That is a huge success indeed, which warrants for a special offer. I will leave you Wonka for twenty Galleons. Normally, these rare animals cost at least fifty."

Ignoring Ron's gasp, Gaoithe thanked the witch profusely, before he asked, "Ron, would you like to have him as your familiar? The potion won't be a problem. If I can't brew it, I'm sure that my father will help me."

Ron looked straight at Harry. "Are you sure? That's a lot of money and a lot of work every month," he said hesitantly, before he turned his eyes to longingly look at the toad.

"We take him," Gaoithe informed the witch, and a few minutes later, the small group was on their way back to Hogwarts with Wonka in a wooden cage.

When they stepped out of the fireplace in Minerva's office, Gaoithe promised to brew the potion and send Yuki to take it to Ron right away.

"Thank you, and thank you so much for the toad," Ron replied, and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"You're welcome. Maybe I'll come and beg you for a chocolate frog some time," Gaoithe chuckled.

"Do you know where I can get cocoa for Wonka?" Ron whispered, causing Gaoithe to look at him in surprise.

"In the kitchen," he said matter-of-factly, "or you can just ask a house-elf." Seeing that the other boy looked at him in confusion, he glanced at his mother, who was completely absorbed by a parchment, which she was studying intensely. "Come on, I'll show you where the kitchen is," he whispered and pulled Ron out of the room.

'_I'd never thought I'd come here together with Ron_,' he thought as he showed the Gryffindor how to tickle the pear in order to get into the huge Hogwarts kitchen. The two boys had hot cocoa together, while the house-elves carefully tried to feed the toad, who made a total mess of his drink, on the floor. '_Thank Merlin the elves are so helpful_,' Gaoithe thought. '_I like chocolate frogs, but Wonka is disgusting_.'

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe returned home, his parents were engaged in a lively discussion. "Minerva, I don't care what Albus promised to anyone. I am going to tell that meddling old coot that I will not to support these busybodies with their... Ah, Gaoithe, did everything go well?" Severus interrupted himself in a much friendlier voice upon seeing his son.

'_Oh oh, he seems very upset_,' Gaoithe realised and told his father about the chocolate frog spitting toad.

"How disgusting," Severus replied, smirking, as he held his hand out. "Show me the recipe." He skimmed the parchment that Gaoithe had received from the owner of the Magical Menagerie and handed it back. "That should not be a problem for you. You can brew it in my lab. I need to brew something for Professor Pomfrey anyway."

"Dad," Gaoithe asked his father, while he carefully chopped his ingredients, "what did Dumbledore do now? You were very upset when I came home."

Severus let out a long sigh that told Gaoithe that he was still upset. "Professor Dumbledore has promised the Minister that we were going to participate in a party at the Ministry, during which the Minister wants to award us the Order of Merlin. A completely unnecessary event; however, since Professor Dumbledore needs to keep the Minister in a good mood, because he will need his support in the future for his computer research, I don't see a way for us to get around this," Severus said gravely.

Gaoithe groaned in annoyance. "Leave it to Professor Dumbledore to agree to such a thing without even asking us in advance. When is the party?" he asked thoughtfully, resolving to ask the twins for help in this matter. '_They can play some kind of prank on Dad and me to get us out of this_,' he thought as he continued to brew the potion for Ron.

風の力を持つハリー

Fred and George Weasley happily agreed to play a prank on Gaoithe and his father that would prevent them to attend the party at the Ministry on Monday evening. From the time when Gaoithe left his parents' quarters and headed into the Merlin common room on Monday morning, he was extremely careful, wondering what the twins might have planned for them. '_Well, it's probably something that's going to happen in the Great Hall or in the corridors, considering that it's supposed to involve Dad as well_,' he thought as he sat down between Hermione and Draco in the Charms classroom for his last morning class.

The class was nearly over when Hermione took Gaoithe's left hand in her own and frowned. "Gaoithe, what are these green pustules?"

"Green pustules?" Gaoithe queried, staring at his hand in disbelief, before he let out a groan. "Oh no, that's probably the prank, which the twins are supposed to play on me today," he explained in a small voice.

"A prank? Are you sure?" Hermione asked in concern. "That looks like a rash. Gaoithe, I think you should go to Professor Pomfrey and have her check on you."

"I'm fine," Gaoithe replied in annoyance, although he had to admit that he hadn't been feeling overly well the whole morning. "I'll just go home and ask my parents."

"I wouldn't do that. Even if it's probably only a prank, it could be contagious, and you wouldn't want to get Uisce sick," Hermione said sternly.

Gaoithe rolled his eyes and thought to his father, 'Dad, I have a strange green rash on my hands. Do you have that, too?'

'Why would I have such a thing?' Severus asked in apparent disbelief. 'Come to the Potions classroom right after your class.'

'Dad, I'm sure this is part of a prank,' Gaoithe admitted; however, he obediently trailed to the Potions classroom to see his father as soon as Professor Flitwick dismissed the students.

Severus looked intensely at the pustules on Gaoithe's hand. "That looks like moon fern poisoning," he said finally. "Did you get in contact with moon fern and cinnamon leaves at the same time? Did you have Herbology today?"

"No Dad," Gaoithe sighed and told his father about the prank that was supposed to get them around their trip to the Ministry that evening.

"I see," Severus said, smirking. "However, this only seems to affect you. I don't have any rash." He waved his wand over Gaoithe and let his wand sink, noticing that the same rash appeared on his wand hand as soon as he cast a spell. "I'm going to call Poppy. If this is what we think it is, she needs to see it in order to excuse us with Professor Dumbledore," he said, smirking, as he headed to the fireplace.

"Yes, it is moon fern poisoning," Pomfrey confirmed a few minutes later. "Both of you will be confined to your quarters until it wears off, which will probably be tomorrow morning."

"After my afternoon classes," Severus threw in firmly.

"No Severus, you're both ill from the poisoning and you're running a temperature. Therefore, you will do as I say; otherwise, I'm going to take you with me to the hospital wing. I will inform Albus that he has to take over your afternoon classes. The poisoning is not contagious, so that it won't be dangerous for Minerva and Uisce; however, you both need to rest. I'll come and check on the two of you again in the evening."

"Poppy, we're supposed to accompany Albus to the Ministry tonight," Severus said, smirking.

"Well then, Albus will have to go alone," Pomfrey replied firmly. "I'll inform him."

"That went well," Gaoithe chuckled as they entered the living room a few minutes later. "I got out of History of Magic and Divination, which I both hate, and we don't have to attend that party."

The Snapes spent the whole afternoon in the living room, except for Minerva, who had to teach, and Uisce, who took a long nap after lunch. Severus and Gaoithe played several games of wizard's chess, until Minerva returned home. Gaoithe played with Uisce for a while, before he lay down on the sofa to take a nap. His rash that had spread over his whole body was itching, and he didn't feel well at all.

Looking at his son, who curled up on the sofa, Severus smirked. "Now Gaoithe, don't you think that we need to brew a thank you gift for your twin friends?"

Gaoithe looked at his father in disbelief. "Dad, please don't forget that it was me who asked the twins for the prank. If we brew anything at all, I'd rather brew a potion for the itching."

"We'll do that as well, and I believe that the twins could have thought of something more harmless," Severus replied, grinning. "What I'm thinking of is far less harmful, and they won't have to miss any classes."

However, the smirk on his face told Gaoithe that the twins were in for a surprise.

Before Severus could explain what he intended to brew for the twins, Minerva entered the lab. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked sternly. "Both of you are supposed to rest and not to brew potions."

Severus was the first to reply. "You're right, Minerva. Please take Gaoithe with you. I'm just going to brew something for him for the itching."

Minerva glared at her husband, taking in his flushed cheeks in his otherwise extremely pale face. "No Severus, you will leave this room instantly. Poppy will certainly be willing to brew the potion for you."

Severus let out a long sigh but relented and grudgingly followed Minerva, who had laid her arm around Gaoithe's shoulders, out of the lab. 'Don't worry; I'm going to brew the surprise potion for the twins in the morning,' he thought to his son.

'I'm looking forward to see what it does,' Gaoithe thought back, musing, '_How funny; Dad would never listen to anyone, but for Mum he is ready to do anything, even stop brewing for once_.'

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe woke up in the morning, he felt completely fine, and the green spots that had been covering his arms and legs were completely gone. He faintly recalled that Pomfrey and his mother had woken him up late in the evening to apply a potion to his skin.

"Your father has already gone to his classroom to make some preparations," Minerva informed him in apparent displeasure as he took his seat at the kitchen table, reaching out for Uisce to take her on his lap.

'_He probably brews the potion for the twins_,' Gaoithe thought as he popped a small strawberry into his sister's mouth. He looked in surprise at his mother, when she placed a small box with an expensive looking dark blue cover in front of him on the table.

"The Order of Merlin first class," Minerva explained. "Professor Dumbledore accepted it from the Minister for you and your father. Both of you also received one million Galleons each. The money should be in your own vault by now."

Gaoithe paled visibly. "Mum, I don't want any money," he protested firmly. "This Order of Merlin thing is bad enough, but can I at least give back the money?"

Minerva smiled at the upset boy. "Gaoithe, you don't have to feel bad about receiving the money. You helped many people with your potion," she replied in a soft voice. "If you really don't want it, you can, for example, donate the money."

"Donate the money," Gaoithe repeated thoughtfully. "I'll think about it."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe spent his Care of Magical Creatures class to ponder the matter and had just come to a solution, when Professor Lupin reprimanded him gently for not paying attention.

"I'm sorry, Professor," he apologized quickly and resolved to speak with his parents about his idea later on. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to pay attention in his Charms class either, because his thoughts turned back to the twins, when Hermione asked him on their way back to the castle, what had been wrong with him the previous evening.

"Just some kind of bug, but it's all right now," he replied dismissively; however, he couldn't wait for the next class to end in order to meet the twins for lunch in the Great Hall.

To Gaoithe's surprise, the twins seemed completely fine and unharmed when they appeared at the Merlin table and took their seats just opposite of him. "Thank you so much for your help," he whispered. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome..."

"... Any time," the twins cheered.

'_Maybe Dad didn't brew the potion yet_,' Gaoithe wondered and closely observed the twins, while he absentmindedly took a few bites off his lunch. However, all of a sudden, he saw that Fred and George exchanged confused looks, before they jumped up from their seats and dashed out of the Hall. Gaoithe looked at Hermione and Ginny, who were sitting on the seats next to him, in surprise, before the three of them stood up and hurried after the twins.

Fred and George were sitting on the floor of the entrance hall, looking at each other.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked her brothers in apparent concern.

"Everything looks strange..."

"... Just the other way round," the twins replied in confusion.

"Your hair is green..."

"... and Gaoithe has white hair like Dumbledore."

"Gaoithe, was that you?" George all of a sudden asked in suspicion.

"No, of course not. Why would I do such a thing?" Gaoithe replied innocently. "Remember, I asked you for the prank."

"That's true," Fred stated. "Anyway, all colours look reversed. That's not funny."

"It really isn't," George agreed. "Anyway, we better go. We need to find our way to the Transfiguration classroom on time. McGonagall is going to kill us soon enough when we transfigure our plush cats into green live cats in spite of the marmalade ones she wants."

Gaoithe inwardly chuckled. '_I hope Mum is going to tell us what happens_,' he thought, when he suddenly had another idea. '_Perhaps I should speak with Hagrid about my idea, before I go home after the afternoon classes_.'

"Gaoithe!" Hermione's voice brought him back to reality. "Come on, or we're going to be late for Potions."

風の力を持つハリー

During his Potions class, Gaoithe decided to go and speak with the half giant in order to hear his opinion before his conversation with his parents; however, knowing that Gaoithe had a free period afterwards, Severus called him at the end of the class and asked if he could take Uisce with him. Therefore, he changed his plans and returned home with his sister. '_Oh well, it doesn't really matter_,' he thought, sighing. '_I have lots of homework left anyway, since I couldn't do anything yesterday. I hope she'll sleep for a while_.'

Fortunately, Uisce did him the favour and took a long nap next to Gaoithe on the sofa with Iro curled up next to her, so that Gaoithe could work on his assignments, until his parents came home after the last afternoon class. Gaoithe noticed quickly that his mother was in an extremely bad mood.

"Severus, would you mind having the Weasley twins in detention tonight?" she asked briskly as soon as she entered the room.

Severus, who had just made himself comfortable in his favourite armchair with a pile of parchments and a red quill, looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "No problem, but why is that?" he asked in surprise.

Gaoithe looked up with a mixture of guilt and amusement as Minerva began to explain what happened in her first afternoon class. "I made the fifth years practise a Transfiguration, which is frequently used in the OWL examination. They had to transfigure a button into the blue Equatorial Jungle Tree Climbing Frog and put them into the box on my desk, so that I could transfigure them back in one go."

Gaoithe glanced at his father; however, the Potion Master's face remained expressionless as Minerva continued, "Anyway, the twins saw fit to transfigure their buttons into the very dangerous red Madagascar Tree Frog." She let out a long sigh. "Of course, the red frog is not dangerous per se. They are perfectly harmless together with their own kind, but being put together with their related species in one box, there is mayhem. The blue frogs turned to red and their size multiplied by ten, before they exploded, spreading the frog entrails over the whole classroom. They were dripping from the walls, from the torches, and even from my glasses. It was horrible. Anyway, I assigned the twins detention with you tonight after dinner for endangering their classmates. Thank Merlin I didn't have Uisce with me this afternoon."

Gaoithe looked at his sister, noticing that she stirred at her mother's upset voice. "It's all right, little one," he softly whispered into her ear, before he pulled her up to sit on his lap, seeing from the corner of his eyes how Severus pulled Minerva into an embrace. "Wait a moment, Uisce; Mummy will feed you in a minute," he soothingly told the girl, when her mouth stretched as if she was about to whimper.

Uisce's eyes met his own, and the girl leaned against his chest, her small thumb on its way into her mouth, while Iro climbed up onto Gaoithe's shoulder to continue her nap in his neck.

"Hey Iro," Gaoithe whispered, "where is Hikaru?" Only now he realised that he hadn't seen the male chameguise the whole afternoon.

'He went into the forest to look for a breeding spot,' Iro admitted hesitantly.

"Wow, are we going to get small chameguises soon?" Gaoithe blurted out in surprise. "That's too cool. Oh, but you don't need a breeding spot. We can make one for you. Perhaps on the roof?" He gave his father a questioning look.

"On the roof would be a good place," Severus replied thoughtfully. "If Iro and Hikaru tell us what they need, we can provide an adequate breeding place for them." The chameguise happily agreed, and Severus continued, "We'll have to do this later tonight after the twins' detention or tomorrow afternoon though."

'Are you really going to give them detention?' Gaoithe thought to his father, clearly shocked. 'It's not their fault at all.'

Severus smirked. 'Your mother doesn't have to know that. It would only make her more upset. I'm going to teach them how to brew the potion, which I made for them this morning,' he thought back to Gaoithe.

"Dad," Gaoithe asked aloud, "may I join you in the classroom for the detention?" Seeing that Minerva cast him a disbelieving look, he explained quickly, "It's always funny to watch the twins in detention. I can go as a fly if that's more convenient for you."

Severus chuckled. "Are you finished with your homework?" he asked sternly. "You probably have a lot to catch up from last night."

Gaoithe frowned. "That's true," he admitted in a small voice. "But I have only Charms and Potions left. I can still do that after the detention."

"No, you won't. You will do your homework right after dinner," Minerva contradicted firmly. "I had to promise Professor Pomfrey that I'd send you to bed early tonight."

Gaoithe rolled his eyes in annoyance but knew better than to disagree with his mother, who still was in a bad mood anyway. "Can we at least talk for a few minutes after Dad's detention?" he asked pleadingly. "I'd like to discuss something with the two of you."

"Of course, Gaoithe," Minerva replied softly as she picked up Uisce, who was busily trying to pull Gaoithe's wand out of his robe pocket. "No, young lady, you're not going to do any magic for a while. Let's take you to the Great Hall for dinner."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe quickly ate his dinner and flashed straight home in order to do his homework as soon as possible. When he was finished, he telepathically asked his father if he could still come into the Potions classroom, and Severus agreed; however, just when Gaoithe was about to step through the connecting door into his father's office, Professor Dumbledore's head appeared in the fireplace.

"Minerva, may I speak with you for a moment?" the old wizard asked gently, and Minerva motioned for him to step through.

"Gaoithe, could you take Uisce with you until we're finished please?" she asked, and Gaoithe grudgingly complied.

He quickly pondered taking his sister with him to the Potions classroom but dismissed the thought, thinking that it would be too dangerous to take her to a detention with the twins. '_You never know what's going to happen if they are involved_,' he decided, startled when the Headmaster motioned for him to stay.

"This concerns you as well, Gaoithe," Dumbledore said gravely. "On Monday next week, Sirius is going to have his trial. Since Pettigrew is caught, I don't think that you will have to make a statement; however, just to be sure that we can give all information, which is needed, I'd like to ask you to accompany me to the Ministry on Monday right after breakfast. You will be excused from your classes."

Gaoithe glanced at Minerva, while he absentmindedly held Uisce's hand as she eagerly tried to do a few steps through the room. "I think it would be good if you joined Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Black," Minerva said thoughtfully, smiling as she reached out for her daughter to come into her arms. "If that's all, Albus, Gaoithe has an appointment with his father in the Potions classroom."

"That's all. Thank you, my boy," the Headmaster replied gently and led the conversation to other topics, while Gaoithe quickly crossed Severus' office.

When he opened the door to the Potions classroom and hurriedly stepped inside, he heard his father shout, "You dunderheads."

However, before Gaoithe even realised what was happening, the cauldron on the table right in front of him exploded, and he was soaked in potion.

"Gaoithe!" the twins shouted simultaneously, looking at him in shock.

Gaoithe blinked. '_Something is wrong with my eyes_,' he thought, horrified, noticing that his vision was about to fail. However, as quickly as everything became black, as fast he could see again. Unfortunately, his surroundings looked very strange. '_Oh no; the colours are reversed. I think I'm going to be sick_,' he thought, feeling very nauseous at the sight of the extremely bright Potions classroom.

"Gaoithe, are you all right?" his father asked in concern.

Gaoithe looked up at Severus, who was wearing the dark blue robes that Minerva had presented him for his birthday last year and looked very bizarre in his completely red attire. "I'm fine; it's just strange," he said quietly, sighing in relief when Severus pulled a chair over, so that he could sit down.

Severus turned to the twins. "Which part of adding one spoonful of the essence from the glass with the red lid did you not understand?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"That's what we did..."

"... We took one spoonful of this one," the twins replied, terrified, showing Severus the glass with the blue lid, which they had used.

"Oh no!" they suddenly exclaimed, looking at each other in shock as realisation set in.

"Sorry Professor, we still have to get used to the inverted colours..."

"...We didn't mean to harm Gaoithe."

"Don't tell me that you are still suffering from the Potion you received at lunchtime?" Severus asked in shock. "It should have worn off as soon as you ate your dinner."

The twins let out a collective sigh. "We skipped dinner, because the potion made us too nauseous," they explained quietly. "Is there anything we can do to help Gaoithe?"

"Unfortunately not," Severus replied gravely. "Since you did not add the essence that makes it wear off upon eating, Gaoithe will have to wait until it wears off by itself."

"When do you think that will be?" Gaoithe asked quietly. He was sitting on the chair with his eyes closed, his head leaning against his father's robes.

"It should wear off after twenty-four hours," Severus said, sighing. "I am sorry, Gaoithe. It is my fault."

"It is our fault…"

"… We should have known by now that red means blue," the twins supplied in their usual singsong, unable to hide a grin.

"Oh just shut up. It's my own fault, because I asked you to prank me and because I stormed into the room without looking what was happening here," Gaoithe blurted out in an upset voice. "I'm going to bed. Good night." He stood up and slowly walked towards the door, only turning back to say more softly, "Dad, I'm going to hide this from Mum. She was upset enough today."

Severus stepped over to his son and carefully raised Gaoithe's chin with his forefinger, so that Gaoithe looked straight into his father's white eyes. "Gaoithe, give me a minute to finish up here, and we'll go together."

"Okay," Gaoithe agreed.

Severus dismissed the twins, instructing them to go to the kitchen and eat dinner in order for their potion to wear off, before he and Gaoithe returned to their quarters. Minerva was grading homework in the living room, looking up astonished when Gaoithe only came over to say good night and then headed straight for his own room.

"I thought he wanted to speak with us about something," she said in surprise, eyeing Severus in confusion.

Severus sighed. "I think he doesn't feel completely well yet," he lied. "Why don't we have tea and go to bed early, too? Who knows how long your daughter will let you sleep."

"She is your daughter. Mine would sleep through until the morning instead of waking me up when I've just fallen asleep," Minerva replied, smirking.

_tbc..._


	29. Chapter 29

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 29**

Gaoithe woke up to his father's voice. "Good morning, Gaoithe. It's time to get up."

Gaoithe blinked, only to groan in annoyance as realisation set in. '_All the colours are inverted and will be for the whole day_,' he realised as he mumbled a greeting to his father.

"Gaoithe, I am really sorry," Severus said, and Gaoithe noticed from his voice and his expression that his father was probably feeling awful at the thought of how irresponsible he had been, when he made the twins brew a potion without confirming that the effects of his prank potion had worn off. He was just about to ask him if he could excuse him from his classes, when he remembered that the twins had attended their classes the previous day and dismissed the thought.

"You don't have to be sorry, Dad," he said softly. "Feeling a bit strange for a day is still better than having to attend a party at the Ministry. I'm going to change into my phoenix form until the beginning of the first class."

"I hope you'll feel better then," Severus said, sighing, as he pulled Gaoithe into a bear hug. "Take care, son, and if there is anything I can do for you, just let me know."

"Love you, Dad," Gaoithe mumbled, enjoying the quiet moment in his father's arms with closed eyes, so that he missed the small smile that was playing on Severus' lips.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe struggled through his classes. He only told his best friends that he had had a potions accident without sharing details and that they shouldn't speak about it in order to keep it from his mother. After his morning classes, he transformed into his phoenix form, because he felt less nauseous that way, and had lunch together with Yuki and Fawkes in Professor Dumbledore's new office.

The still official Headmaster was just having a meeting with the Minister of Magic, glancing at Fawkes' perch, when Yuki and Gaoithe arrived.

"Dumbledore, you know that it is important. It is bad enough that they couldn't attend the party. You already made huge mistakes when you let Harry Potter escape, provided that you really do not know his whereabouts. However, this time, I want you to make up for it, especially if you really intend to retire. I want the world to know what the British Ministry of Magic achieved."

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat. "I am sorry about Harry Potter. I thought it would be the best for him to hide in the Muggle world. Concerning the event, I will speak with the Snapes and try to convince them. If that is all..."

"Very well Dumbledore, I await your fast response." With that, the Minister rose from his chair and stepped into the fireplace.

'_What was that about?_' Gaoithe wondered as he absentmindedly ate the delicacies that Twinkle had brought for Fawkes and his two guests.

"Yuki, did you bring a new friend?" Dumbledore suddenly queried, causing Gaoithe to cast him a surprised look.

#That's Cicero,# Fawkes replied, chuckling. #He is an old friend of mine.#

Gaoithe fluffed his feathers in confusion, only now realising that his feathers looked completely normal, while everything else still had strange colours. '_Oh no; I probably transformed into a fire phoenix or something. That's cool though, if even Dumbledore doesn't recognise me_.'

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe dragged himself through his remaining classes, glad when the afternoon passed without any extraordinary happenings. To his surprise, Severus suggested to take the chameguises to the roof right away. "You know that this has to remain an exception, but you may do your homework later on," Severus said smirking, knowing from a glance into his son's face that the potion had still to wear off. "We must take Uisce with us though, because your mother has to do some office work together with Professor Dumbledore," he added, gently putting the little girl on the floor.

"Gee!" Uisce shouted in delight, looking pleadingly into her adored big brother's face as she raised her little arms and demanded firmly, "Up."

Gaoithe carefully lifted his sister, and on the way upstairs to the roof garden, he told his father about the conversation, which he had witnessed during lunchtime.

"That meddling old coot!" Severus blurted out angrily. "No, he hasn't spoken with me yet, but I can imagine what he wants." He let out a long sigh. "Fudge is someone who always wants publicity. I am sure that he wants us to have an interview with Rita Skeeter..." Seeing that Gaoithe looked at him questioningly, Severus interrupted himself to explain, "An extremely annoying female reporter from the Daily Mirror, to announce how grateful we are that Fudge arranged for the potions to be administered at St. Mungo's." He sighed. "If there is anyone, who helped us, it was Healer O'Brien, who is always very cooperative."

Gaoithe chuckled, shifting Uisce onto his other arm. "He gets along with my Head of House pretty well, doesn't he?"

Severus glared at him, unable to hide a small smile. "Don't you dare say anything to either of them," he replied sternly. "Anyway, even if I don't appreciate you eavesdropping on others, I'm glad to know what Professor Dumbledore is planning. This gives me time to speak with Healer O'Brien beforehand and perhaps arrange something with Skeeter, before Professor Dumbledore can act, although she is an annoying bitch. I don't know about you, but I will definitely not participate in any press conference."

"I won't either," Gaoithe said quickly.

"Very well then, I'll write a small report for her to post in the paper, if she swears a wizard's oath that she will not change as much as one single word. How is that? That will make any press conference completely unnecessary."

"Dad," Gaoithe said hesitantly, "as far as I know, Luna's father is the editor of the Quibbler. Why don't you send your article to him, if you despise Skeeter so much? Frankly speaking, Luna asked me a long time ago if I was willing to speak with her father about the wolfscure potion, because he was interested to write about it. But I declined, because I wanted to keep quiet about the matter. I didn't know that they were going to make such a fuss with the Order of Merlin, so that everyone knows about it anyway."

Severus gave him a thoughtful look. "Very well then, let's speak with Ms. Lovegood later on. Maybe she can floo call her father and ask him. I'd appreciate if we could get around Seeker." He turned to his daughter. "Now Uisce, you're getting too heavy for your brother to carry you all the time. Get down now and stay away from the plants. Otherwise," he said, gently tickling the little girl's toes, "I'm going to use your toes for potions ingredients."

Uisce giggled happily and let herself sink to the ground to crawl as Gaoithe carefully placed her on the grass. "Now Iro, where do you want your nest?" Severus queried, looking for the chameguises.

Only now, Gaoithe realised that the two chameguises had left his shoulders and were contentedly busying themselves at one corner of the roof garden. "I think they already found a spot," he said, chuckling as he pointed at his familiar.

"That is an adequate spot," Severus agreed, causing Gaoithe to inwardly sigh in relief.

'_I just want to get over with everything_,' he thought. '_I can't wait for my vision to return to normal_.' He absentmindedly noticed that Severus called Cicero and instructed him to help the chameguises, before he picked up his daughter and motioned for Gaoithe to follow him back home. At the door that led inside to their quarters, Severus stopped and waved his wand at the door, making a small flap appear, just large enough for a chameguise to pass. "Ah, that's a brilliant idea," Gaoithe said gratefully. "Thank you, Dad."

Severus gave Gaoithe a sharp look. "Do you still see the colours reversed?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Yes," Gaoithe replied. '_Just ignore me; it's bad enough that I can't see properly_,' he thought, feeling very annoyed at his father's concern. "It's all right, Dad; it should wear off soon."

Severus glanced at his wrist watch. "Well, I suggest having dinner at home then. Uisce, are you hungry?"

Gaoithe chuckled as the girl squealed in delight and tried to run on her still unsteady, small legs, until she stumbled, landing on the floor a few metres before reaching the table. "You're getting fast," he laughed as he gently picked up the girl and sat her into her high chair.

When Minerva returned home after dinner, Severus and Gaoithe informed her about their plan of speaking with Mr. Lovegood.

"I believe that's a very good idea. Professor Dumbledore said something about having to hold a press conference to please Minister Fudge," Minerva said thoughtfully. "Gaoithe, why don't you go and fetch Ms. Lovegood? She can contact her father from our fireplace, if she thinks that he might be interested. Seeing that Gaoithe hesitated, she asked in concern, "Is everything all right, Gaoithe?"

"Yes," Gaoithe replied, smiling, before he thought to his father, 'Thank Merlin, the potion has worn off now. I can see properly.'

'I am very glad and relieved to hear that. I am really sorry, Gaoithe,' Severus replied immediately.

Seeing that his mother looked at him questioningly, Gaoithe said, "I just thought, maybe Mr. Lovegood would be interested in my idea as well. However, I'd prefer to share it just with the two of you first." Looking at his sister, who was fast asleep next to him on the sofa, he smiled and said, "I already know that Uisce will agree right away."

Minerva let out a snort. "Uisce would agree to anything that you might suggest," she said, smiling fondly at the boy.

Gaoithe rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well, it's nothing very special, but I'd like to have a zoo for magical creatures, if possible on the far end of the Hogwarts grounds right next to the forest, so that the animals don't have to be completely locked in but can freely go into the forest and come back as they please. Since there is no need for the Shrieking Shack anymore, I thought that we could rebuild it accordingly, giving each animal inside and outside rooms." Before his parents, who were sitting there, staring at him in surprise, could react, he explained, "I haven't spoken with him yet, but I'd love Hagrid to look after the animals, provided that our new Headmistress will approve my idea." He smirked, glancing at Minerva.

The Potions Master thoughtfully ran a hand through his hair and asked, "And how do you plan to make the animals return from the forest?"

Gaoithe chuckled. "It should be possible to put a charm on them that'll make them come back after a certain amount of time, shouldn't it?"

"Of course, that won't be a problem. I am sure Professor Flitwick would be happy to help you with the charm," Minerva agreed.

"Where are you going to get the animals?" Severus enquired, raising an eyebrow at his son.

Gaoithe glanced at Yuki, who was cuddling with Fawkes on her perch. "Well, Yuki and Fawkes as well as Iro and Akira promised to spend a few hours each day in the zoo, until we have enough animals to get the zoo running. I also thought I could go into the forest in several magical forms and talk to the animals there. Maybe some of them would like to have a place to sleep in safety and get food on a regular basis. We could fix a time, for example in the afternoon or during the weekends, when all animals have to be in the zoo, while they'll be free at all other times," Gaoithe said unsurely, absentmindedly trying to free his forefinger out of Uisce's strong grip. '_Even when she's asleep, she is that strong_,' he thought in surprise. "I also intend to buy a few animals at the Magical Menagerie. I'd love to have a toad like Ron's, for example," he remembered. "Oh well, shall I ask Luna to come over for a moment?" His parents voiced their consent, and Gaoithe quickly stepped through the connecting door into Merlin House.

Luna immediately agreed to contact her father. "He will be very pleased to hear that you're willing to give him an interview," she said in excitement.

"Well, try to contact him," Minerva suggested as she took a small silver coated cat from the mantelpiece and lifted the head, revealing a small box with floo powder.

Luna leaned into the fireplace, and shortly later, her father entered the Snapes' living room. "Professor McGonagall-Snape, Messrs. Snape, may I believe what my daughter told me through the fireplace?" Mr. Lovegood asked, letting his eyes wander around with apparent interest.

"It depends on the conditions," Severus replied, smirking, and explained that he would only agree for the article to be published after closely examining the final version.

"Of course, Professor Snape," Mr. Lovegood reassured him. Suddenly, a parchment was hovering in front of him in the air, and he was holding a light green quill in his hand.

While Severus explained about the wolfscure, Mr. Lovegood took notes, and Gaoithe couldn't help following the green quill's every move with his eyes. The wizard merely slightly moved the quill with his right hand without even touching the parchment. However, every word that Severus' lips revealed clearly appeared on the parchment.

'_That's fantastic_,' Gaoithe thought in absolute amazement. '_It's writing exactly what Dad says. I'd love to have one of these in order to take notes in my classes_.' However, he knew better than to voice his thoughts in front of his parents and instead told Mr. Lovegood about his idea to build a magical zoo on the Hogwarts grounds as soon as Severus was finished with his explanation.

"That is a very interesting idea," Lovegood exclaimed, looking appraisingly at the boy. "Will the zoo be only open for Hogwarts students or for the whole magical world?"

Gaoithe looked at his mother with uncertainty. "I'd love it to be open for everyone, but I don't know if that's possible," he replied in a small voice.

"We will coordinate the project with Professor Lupin, our Care of Magical Creatures Professor, and Hagrid, who will be responsible for the zoo, provided that he agrees," Minerva informed the visitor and explained that Gaoithe had only told them about his idea an hour ago. "However, I am sure that we will be able to allow visitors at certain times, at least during the weekends."

"Does Professor Dumbledore already know about these plans?" Lovegood queried with apparent interest.

"Professor Dumbledore told me he is going to officially announce his retirement on the weekend," Minerva replied, glancing at Severus. "Apparently, he urgently wants to retire, because the Minister is putting pressure on him in several matters."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I just hope Fudge won't try to put you under pressure," he said in concern.

Minerva let out a snort. "Well, let him try. He won't be very efficient."

Gaoithe looked back at Mr. Lovegood, noticing that his face was scrunched in thought. "Professors, if you don't mind me asking, is it planned to announce the change in the Headmaster's position through the Daily Prophet on Monday morning?"

Minerva and Severus exchanged a glance. "Probably," Minerva finally replied.

"Very well then," Lovegood said in determination. "I shall send you all three articles tomorrow morning. Will you be able to return any corrections by tomorrow night? If possible, I'd like to bring out a special edition of the Quibbler on Sunday."

"Your support is highly appreciated," Severus replied without any emotion showing on his face. "It is time to put an end to Minister Fudge's as well as the Daily Prophet's behaviour of pretending that they own Britain's magical world. We shall inform Professor Dumbledore beforehand though, since we don't want him to suffer a heart attack."

Minerva replied in agreement and exchanged a few more words with the reporter about the change of positions at Hogwarts. In the meantime, Gaoithe let his eyes wander around. While Luna was staring into space with an extremely pleased expression on her face, Minerva looked excited, and Severus was smirking. '_The Minister will be so angry_,' Gaoithe thought, wondering how Dumbledore was going to react.

風の力を持つハリー

The Quibbler was released on Sunday morning. During breakfast, Professor Dumbledore announced that he was going to retire and accept the new post of a research professor and that Professor McGonagall was the new Headmistress. Only a few minutes later, the owls flew into the Great Hall, distributing a copy of the Quibbler's special edition to their respective recipients.

Inwardly chuckling, Gaoithe observed from the Merlin table how Professor Dumbledore's expression turned into a frown and further into anger as he skimmed the newspaper. '_I'll go back home for a while. This is going to be fun_,' he decided and left the Great Hall to flash home, hoping that he would be able to eavesdrop on the conversation between the former Headmaster and his parents. Unfortunately, neither Minerva nor Severus came home after breakfast. '_Oh no! They're probably meeting in Mum's office_,' Gaoithe realised in annoyance. Knowing that he couldn't just flash into the office in his phoenix form, he transformed into a mosly. Only a few days ago, he had discovered the tiny, magical fly, which was able to flash over short distances, in an old tome about magical creatures.

Without contemplating further, he flashed into Minerva's office in his mosly form and made himself comfortable on the shelf above that, on which the Sorting Hat was sitting. Minerva was sitting behind her desk, and Severus and Dumbledore were sitting opposite of her, while Uisce was peacefully asleep in her playpen next to the desk.

"What does this mean?" Dumbledore asked sharply, pointing to the article about his retirement.

"We decided to use the Quibbler to make our announcements instead of relying on that bitch from Fudge's censored newspaper," Severus replied in an even voice.

Dumbledore slowly popped a lemon drop into his mouth, before he queried in disbelief, "Don't you think it would have been appropriate to speak with me beforehand?"

"Maybe we should have told you," Minerva replied in a soft voice, "however, can you imagine how upset the Minister would be if you had known of the matter in advance?"

"Oh well, that is a valid argument," Dumbledore said, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "Concerning the zoo on the Hogwarts grounds, I believe that it is a wonderful idea," he continued. "I suggest that Gaoithe contacts Charlie Weasley and asks him for a pair of dragons."

Gaoithe looked into the old wizard's baby blue eyes. '_That's a great idea_,' he thought, resolving to speak with the twins about the zoo as soon as possible. '_Maybe they'll have more ideas_.'

All of a sudden, the fireplace flared and the Minister appeared in the flames, demanding to be allowed to step through. "Dumbledore," he roared, pacing the round office. "What do you think you're doing? You quit your job, and I have to receive this information from the Quibbler?" He spat the last word. "Who do you think I am?"

Severus mumbled something into his nonexistent beard, causing Gaoithe to inwardly chuckle.

"Apart from that, I asked you to arrange for an interview with Messrs. Snape and Ms. Skeeter," the Minister added, glaring at Dumbledore.

"I am sorry, Cornelius, but I only announced my retirement this morning, and I was not aware of the fact that Professor Snape and his son decided to prefer giving Mr. Lovegood from the Quibbler an interview. I am afraid this was a very unfortunate coincidence in combination with a bad timing," Dumbledore said calmly, slowly sucking on his lemon drop.

"The matter with the change of positions at Hogwarts only came up by chance," Minerva threw in sternly. "However, both my husband and I, and I am sure that our son agrees as well, were very pleased with our conversation with Mr. Lovegood as well as with his performance. Therefore, I believe that from now on we're going to ask him if we need to make anything public."

'_Oh my, she speaks as if she was talking to a student in detention_,' Gaoithe mused, glad that he was not the one to whom his mother was speaking at the moment.

"Very well then," Fudge said thoughtfully, and Gaoithe noticed that a small smirk appeared on his face. "Since the position of the Transfiguration teacher happens to be vacant now, the Ministry will send you an adequate professor for the subject."

"I am afraid that will be unnecessary, Minister," Minerva replied icily, causing Fudge to look at her in surprise. "Our professors here are competent enough to acquire new staff members without interference from outside."

"And whom do you intend to hire?" the Minister asked sharply, eyeing the new Headmistress in shock.

"We will officially announce our new staff member tomorrow..." Minerva said, trailing off when Dumbledore interrupted her.

"Minerva, I think it is all right to tell Cornelius that we plan to hire Mr. Black right after his trial tomorrow."

"Black?" Fudge repeated in clear surprise. "We'll see how his trial goes."

"There is enough evidence for his innocence," Minerva said firmly. "Now, if that's all, Minister..."

Once again Gaoithe was happy that his mother was not speaking to him as the Minister of Magic stepped into the fireplace with a furious expression on his face. '_I wish he'd retire together with Dumbledore_,' he thought. '_I really don't like him_.'

The Headmaster excused himself as well, and Gaoithe carefully flew onto Severus' back for a ride home, while Minerva leaned down to take Uisce out of her playpen. As soon as Severus stepped through the connecting door to the living room, Gaoithe took off and flashed into his own room, where he transformed back into his human form. On his way back to the living room, he heard Severus say, "Well done, Min. However, Albus is too manipulative. Why did he tell Fudge about Black? Frankly speaking, I don't like that."

Minerva cast him a surprised look and asked, "Do you think he'll try to manipulate the trial? Oh well, thank Merlin that Pettigrew is with Albus."

Gaoithe played with Uisce until lunchtime, before he spent the whole afternoon in Merlin House. Although he intended to work on his assignments, he couldn't get much done, because everyone wanted to speak with him about the zoo, Dumbledore's retirement and Minerva's appointment as Headmistress. Finally, he ended up having to do his homework until late in the evening, unaware of the fact that Minerva was observing him disapprovingly.

"Gaoithe, I told you often enough that you should do your homework earlier," she scolded him lightly. "You need your sleep, and it's after curfew already."

Gaoithe let out a sigh. "I know, Mum, but I couldn't do anything this afternoon. Everyone kept asking me questions and such. Oh, by the way, Luna told me to say thank you for choosing her Dad over Ms. Skeeter."

"You may tell her that I will contact her father soon to speak with him about more frequent editions of the Quibbler," Severus threw in. "I always loathed the insufferable Daily Prophet, and we urgently need to do something against its monopole position." He smirked as he continued, "I might be willing to make a small donation from my Order of Merlin award to achieve this."

Gaoithe sighed in relief as he closed his Defence book. "Finished. Would you mind handing my parchments to your colleagues, or should I send Yuki? Professor Dumbledore told me that we have to leave at half past seven tomorrow morning."

Severus reached for the parchments. "I'll give them to your teachers. And now off to bed with you. You don't want to fall asleep at the trial."

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Fawkes flashed Professor Dumbledore, Sirius and Gaoithe to the Ministry of Magic. A young Auror, whom Dumbledore introduced as Nymphadora Tonks, was already waiting for them and led them through the Ministry. Gaoithe looked at the Auror in awe. He liked her immediately. '_I wonder if that's the real colour of her hair_,' he mused as they arrived at a reception, where he had to state his name and hand over his wand for a short inspection. The Ministry employee at the reception, who seemed very sleepy that early in the morning, waved them through quickly, and Gaoithe unconsciously sighed in relief.

As soon as they entered the corridor leading to the court room as Tonks explained, three Aurors appeared seemingly out of nothing, pointing their wands at Sirius. "Follow us, Mr. Black," the oldest of them demanded in a cold voice.

Sirius nodded and turned around to leave with the Aurors through a dark wooden door, which Gaoithe hadn't even noticed so far.

"Good luck, Sirius," Gaoithe said quickly, causing his godfather to wave his hand to him from over his head without turning around.

With a strange feeling of foreboding, Gaoithe hesitantly entered the courtroom together with Dumbledore and the young female Auror with the bright pink hair.

Gaoithe looked around the courtroom in confusion. '_Why are so many people here?_' he wondered. When he hesitantly voiced his question, Dumbledore looked at him with a sad smile on his face.

"Many people knew and loved Lily and James Potter," he said gently. "They want the person, who betrayed them to Voldemort, to be punished for what he did."

'_My birth parents_,' Gaoithe thought. '_That's true; I want Pettigrew to be punished, too_.'

Gaoithe listened quietly as the trial was opened and the public gallery was told about the charges against Sirius Black, before the judge questioned Sirius. Afterwards, several people, among them Professor Dumbledore, were asked to give their testimony. '_What about Pettigrew?_' Gaoithe wondered, when finally, the judge turned to Sirius once more. "Do you have any proof that Pettigrew is alive?" he queried.

Sirius glared at Dumbledore in confusion. "Of course, sir. Gaoithe Snape and Professor McGonagall-Snape captured him and left him in Professor Dumbledore's care. Where is that damn rat?"

"Do not shout," one of the Aurors admonished him harshly, causing Sirius to sit down with a furious expression on his face.

Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat. "What Mr. Black says is absolutely correct. Mr. Pettigrew was in my care, until I handed him to Minister Fudge last week, when I retired from my position as Headmaster of Hogwarts and cleared my office. Now Cornelius, where is Pettigrew?"

Fudge stood up and replied, "I am sorry, but he seems to have escaped this morning as soon as the Aurors tried to transfigure him back. I therefore doubt that it was Pettigrew at all. Probably, it was just a normal rat." Gaoithe noticed that the Minister seemed very pleased about something.

He let out a groan. '_He let him escape to take revenge on Mum_,' he thought in absolute annoyance and dislike for the Minister as he hesitantly rose from his seat. "Excuse me, sir, but I am a phoenix Animagus and as such able to flash myself to anyone. Will I be excused for a few minutes in order to try to catch Pettigrew? I saw him in his human form, and I know that he is alive."

"How old are you, boy?" Fudge sneered, before he turned to the judge. "He is only thirteen and certainly looking for attention."

Dumbledore jumped from his seat. "I will go. Gaoithe, you stay here. Fawkes!" Instantly, the phoenix arrived in front of the old wizard, and before everyone knew what happened, Dumbledore disappeared together with his familiar.

The judge announced a thirty-minute break, and everyone begun to talk simultaneously. Gaoithe realised that everyone but him, Dumbledore and Sirius seemed to thoroughly enjoy the situation, especially the reporters, who were standing around Sirius and Fudge, feverishly taking notes. '_Thank Merlin they leave me in peace_,' he thought, deciding to unobtrusively remain on his seat. '_I'd love to speak with Sirius; however, I don't want to run straight into the spotlight_.'

"Gaoithe, you're doing great," a gentle voice caught his attention. It was Tonks. She was now wearing dark blue hair, and Gaoithe stared at her in confusion. "Sirius is my cousin," she explained. "I really hope that he'll be free afterwards. I just know that he is innocent."

"He definitely is," Gaoithe reassured her but interrupted himself, when Dumbledore and Fawkes arrived in front of him.

"Gaoithe, you must come with me. I can't reach him," Dumbledore said gravely.

Together with the old wizard, Gaoithe grabbed Fawkes' tail feathers. Fawkes elegantly arrived in a huge field, occasional trees scattered here and there. Before Gaoithe could wonder where they were, Dumbledore pointed to the stump of the tree in front of them.

"Fawkes told me that he can sense him inside that tree. I assume that he used the small hole over there to get inside."

Gaoithe examined the tree, feverishly trying to make a plan. '_I need an animal that is able to get in there and force him outside_,' he thought, looking up in confusion, when Dumbledore queried, "Gaoithe, do you have an idea?"

"A summoning spell doesn't work, right?" Gaoithe asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No. He must at least be stunned for the summoning spell to work. However, since I can't see him, I can't stun him. I tried everything that came into my mind in vain, before I returned to fetch you. I thought maybe one of your Animagus forms..." Dumbledore admitted, before he trailed off, suddenly looking very old.

'_The mosly is supposed to be able to stun a person by its bite_,' Gaoithe recalled what he had read a few days ago. Not even taking the time to explain his plan to the old wizard, he transformed into his phoenix form and further into a mosly. Flashing himself straight to the rat that was sitting in an empty birds' nest inside the tree, he bit the rat into its backside, causing the small animal to remain unmoving.

In the meantime, Dumbledore had conjured a cage, into which he put the summoned rat without releasing it from its stupor. Together with the caged Animagus, they returned straight into the court room.

The rest of the trial passed uneventfully, and at two o'clock in the afternoon, Sirius Black was a free man. He came over to Gaoithe and sat next to him as a thirty-minute break was announced before the trial of Pettigrew. Before Gaoithe knew what happened, the small group was surrounded by reporters, and he found himself being blinded by flashing cameras.

'Just tell them you're going to give an exclusive interview to Mr. Lovegood from the Quibbler later on,' Gaoithe quickly thought to Sirius, who returned a questioning look. Gaoithe nodded, and Sirius turned to the reporters.

"Leave me in peace. None of you cared that I was thrown into Azkaban, even without a trial or any proof at all. I won't speak to you. Mr. Lovegood, please contact me later on."

"Thank you, Mr. Black, Mr. Snape," Lovegood said in surprise, slightly inclining his head.

"Allow me to tell you something," Dumbledore suddenly spoke to the reporters. "Did none of you notice the contented look on the Minister's face as he announced that Pettigrew had escaped? I handed him the murderer in form of a wooden rat. However, he did not want Mr. Black to be free for reasons, which Mr. Black will reveal to the Quibbler later today. As soon as Mr. Pettigrew's trial commences, I will request a trial against Minister Fudge because of this matter." With that he rose from his seat and crossed the room in a speed that did not give out his age.

Gaoithe observed in annoyance how the reporters took notes of Dumbledore's announcement in obvious excitement. '_I'll never talk to any of them about anything important_,' he resolved, before he turned to Sirius and exchanged a few words with his godfather.

Too soon, the trial began again, and Gaoithe sighed in relief, when the judge decided that they didn't have to hear everyone's evidence again, because they had already provided all the necessary information during Sirius' trial. However, Peter Pettigrew was questioned under Veritaserum and admitted that he had done everything that had sent Sirius to Azkaban for twelve years. Gaoithe was just beginning to become really bored, when the prosecutor stopped his interrogation and asked if anyone had still questions for Pettigrew.

"I have," Dumbledore said firmly. He rose from his seat and walked towards the Minister, who was sitting near the jury. "Mr. Pettigrew, how exactly did you manage to escape this time?"

The room turned absolutely quiet as Pettigrew answered, "Last night, Minister Fudge came to me and told me that he'd let me free under the condition that I'd stay away from the human world forever. He apparated me to a huge field, where I spent the last few hours, before I was captured again."

Ignoring the collective gasp that followed Pettigrew's statement, Dumbledore turned to the judge. "In my position as the Head of the Wizengamot I ask you now to extend this trial to the Minister of Magic."

After a thirty-minute break, Fudge was questioned under Veritaserum. "Is it true that you set Mr. Pettigrew free last night?" the judge asked.

"Yes."

"And why was that?"

"Because I didn't want Sirius Black to be free."

"Are you a supporter of 'You-Know-Who'?"

"No."

"Why then did you free Pettigrew?"

"Because I wanted to take revenge on Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall-Snape. They want to prevent me and the Ministry to take more influence on Hogwarts."

The questioning continued for thirty minutes, and Gaoithe sighed in relief, when the jury finally retired to decide on its verdict. '_It's nearly dinner time_,' he thought in surprise at how fast the day had passed. '_I hope they'll send Fudge to Azkaban together with Pettigrew_.'

He was pulled out of his thoughts, when Sirius asked Dumbledore, "Who do you think will become the new Minister of Magic?"

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his beard, looking at the younger wizard from over his half-moon spectacles. "Maybe Amelia Bones or Arthur Weasley," he said finally. "However, we must await the verdict of the jury first. Some of them might be just as corrupt as a large section of the Ministry."

On Tuesday morning, the Headlines of the Daily Prophet shouted,

'_Ex-Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, sentenced to a lifelong stay in Azkaban_.'

A few lines farther down it said, '_It leaves us to wonder why Fudge wanted murderer Peter Pettigrew to remain free. We hope that Mr. Sirius Black will be able and willing to enlighten the magical world_.' Two other large Headlines covered the rest of the front page.

'_Sirius Black innocent_'

and

'_The Potters' betrayer Peter Pettigrew kissed_.'

"That was fast," Severus commented dryly as he put the newspaper down and motioned for Gaoithe to hurry up. "Breakfast is going to commence in a few minutes."

Gaoithe shuddered at the thought of being kissed by Dementors. He had never seen any; however, Sirius had told him how cold, unhappy and just awful he had felt in their presence. At breakfast, Minerva informed the students about the events of the previous day and introduced Sirius as her successor as Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor from January onwards, before she continued, "Amelia Bones, the aunt of Susan Bones from Merlin House, has been appointed with the task of compiling a list of eligible candidates for the position of Minister of Magic. The election will be on the fifteenth of December."

_tbc..._


	30. Chapter 30

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 30**

The Headmistress' announcement caused lively discussions among the students, who wondered who was going to become the new Minister. "I just hope that it's not anyone who wants to interfere at Hogwarts," Gaoithe said, absentmindedly feeding Yuki a piece of bacon after taking off a letter from her foot. It was from Mr. Lovegood.

'_Dear Mr. Snape, thank you so much for advising Mr. Black to give me a special interview. I will be at Hogwarts to meet him this afternoon, and if possible, I'd like to speak with you afterwards. I will wait for you in the entrance hall at the end of the last afternoon class_.'

Gaoithe stared at the parchment in confusion. '_I wonder what he wants_,' he thought. '_I don't have any news. He only spoke with me a few days ago_.'

"Gaoithe, we wrote a letter to Charlie," George brought him back to reality.

"We suggested that he should meet with you when he comes home for Christmas," Fred added.

Gaoithe looked up to face the twins, before he sighed and said thoughtfully, "Then he should come to see me on the first or the last day of the holidays. I probably won't be here for Christmas." '_Or maybe I will_,' he thought as he imagined Uisce's devastated face upon hearing that her adored big brother would be away for Christmas. '_I can't do that_,' he decided. '_I'll have to leave and come back on the same day_.' He cleared his throat, before he said to the twins, "Maybe I will be here, but I'm not one hundred percent sure yet." He quickly stood up as Hermione urged him to hurry up in order not to be late for their first morning class.

Gaoithe could hardly concentrate that day. His thought wandered back to the previous day that had been fairly eventful to the question what Mr. Lovegood wanted.

"He asked me if I'd be willing to help him find the so-called Crumple-Horned Snorkack and put a couple of it into the zoo, after he pestered me about how we were able to catch Pettigrew," Gaoithe explained to his parents later on.

"The what?" Severus quirked an eyebrow. "Is that an animal that actually exists?"

Gaoithe shrugged. "He gave me a parchment with information about it and said maybe I'd be able to transform into one, so that I might find out where they live. That's all I know. Oh and he asked me about the Chamber of Slytherin, because Sirius told him that you had suggested it for him as hiding place. He asked me to take him there, which I did. I hardly ever get around to visiting Amaterasu and Susanoo. They're such a cute couple. He asked me if it was all right to publish an article about the Chamber, and I promised to ask the two of you by the way."

Severus scrunched his face in thought. "I believe that it would be unfortunate to announce that you're able to speak Parseltongue. Other than that I don't mind. No one will be able to find let alone enter the Chamber anyway."

"Oh right, I'll tell him that then," Gaoithe agreed, reaching for his quill.

"Gaoithe, I suggest that you work on your homework first," Minerva instructed him firmly. "I'm sure that you have enough to do, considering that you didn't do anything yesterday."

Gaoithe complied, knowing that his mother was right as usual. The following weeks passed uneventfully, and Gaoithe slowly forgot about the triple trial and its consequences, until Minerva brought up the topic again, when she reminded Severus and Gaoithe that the election of the new Minister was going to take place on the next day.

"Who do you think it's going to be?" Gaoithe asked interestedly, looking curiously at his parents.

Minerva sighed. "There are three candidates, Ms. Bones, Mr. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore." Ignoring Gaoithe's gasp at the mentioning of the former Headmaster, she continued, "I like each of them; however, I'm not sure if I'd want Professor Dumbledore as Minister of Magic. Of course, he would act in our school's best interest, but on the other hand I'd prefer to have him as my deputy, especially as he was planning to commence teaching about computers from the next school year onwards." She smiled at Gaoithe. "If you had already at least finished your OWLs, I'd ask you to teach the subject in case he accepts the Minister's position. I'm very proud of you. Professor Dumbledore told me that he wouldn't have been able to get the computer to work at Hogwarts if it hadn't been for your help."

Gaoithe felt himself blush and said quickly, "No, I didn't do anything special. We just read a lot of Muggle books and tried and played a lot with his computer. I love working together with him, and I like playing on the computer. It's fun."

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe returned home after dinner on the next day, his parents were sitting on the sofa, and Severus had laid his arm around Minerva's back and was speaking to her in a soothing voice. "Don't worry, Min. You're going to do a wonderful job, even without the old meddling coot."

"I only agreed to take over this position, because he promised to be my deputy," Minerva replied in an upset voice, sounding slightly frustrated.

"Mum, what's the problem?" Gaoithe threw in softly. "Dad is right. You're already making a great Headmistress, and you can choose someone else for your deputy, for example Dad or Sirius."

"Exactly," Severus agreed, "and don't forget that you have a great advantage over everyone else." He smirked as he continued, "Who else can say that he or she is still under forty but has the experiences of a seventy-year-old?"

Minerva rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Sirius," she said thoughtfully, before she shook her head. "Gaoithe, I don't think that he is ready for the task. After twelve years in Azkaban, he has to get used to our normal life first. I'll be glad if he is ready to teach Transfiguration from January onwards. I'll probably have to help him with the Head of House task and maybe even teach a few classes for him. We'll see. However, for the deputy position I need someone, on whom I can rely at all times. I would be more than happy to choose your father; however, he is too busy anyway."

Gaoithe nodded in understanding. "That's true," he said thoughtfully, absentmindedly watching Uisce, who was sitting in her playpen, playing with her teddy. "What about Professor Lupin?" he suddenly asked. "He would make a good deputy Headmaster, don't you think so?"

Severus looked up in surprise. "I believe that's a very good idea."

"Oh, maybe that's right. I didn't even think of him. I only considered the Heads of the Houses," Minerva said in a soft voice and glanced at her watch. "Thank you so much for your help, Severus and Gaoithe."

The two wizards exchanged an amused look and retired to Severus' private lab, while Minerva headed to the fireplace to summon the Care of Magical Creatures professor. An hour later, she hesitantly looked through the door into the lab. "May I disturb you for a minute?"

Severus quickly cast a stasis spell on the potion, before he looked at his wife in expectation. "Did he agree?"

Minerva sighed. "He seemed very uncertain and said he would think about it. Severus, could you please try to convince him that he is the right man for the position tomorrow?"

Severus nodded comfortingly and promised, "I'll see what I can do. I don't know if he is going to listen to me."

風の力を持つハリー

It seemed at least equally difficult to find a professor for the newly invented research position, and it was only by chance that Gaoithe stumbled over a solution on the first day of the winter holidays.

During the last week before the holidays, Gaoithe arranged a meeting with Charlie Weasley as the possible donator of dragons, Professor Lupin as the Deputy Headmaster and Care of Magical Creatures professor, Hagrid as the possible caretaker of the future zoo and Mr. Lovegood as a research specialist in the area of magical creatures for Saturday morning, the time when his friends boarded the Hogwarts Express to go home. They met at the deserted Merlin House table in the Great Hall, and Gaoithe presented each member with a rough plan of how he intended to build the zoo.

Charlie agreed to lend or donate two dragons to the zoo from the beginning onwards, provided that they would be able to roam the forest and fly as much as they wanted.

"We need to ward the grounds against the zoo animals, but that shouldn't be a problem," Lupin said thoughtfully. "Otherwise, dragons would be too dangerous for us to keep."

Everyone agreed, and Hagrid accepted the position of the caretaker for the zoo. "'Course I'll do tha, Gaoithe. Thank ye fer askin me," he replied, unobtrusively wiping a huge tear from his cheek.

Mr. Lovegood made a few suggestions for animals, which Gaoithe should try to gather for the zoo, among them the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. "Mr. Snape, if you don't mind, I'd like to take you to a spot, on which these animals are likely to appear. Perhaps if you transformed into one of them, others would join you."

"I can do that, sir," Gaoithe hesitantly agreed. "I read the information you gave me, and I should be able to transform into one. However, we still don't have the zoo, so what are we going to do in case we find any?"

"We'll find a place for them to stay, Gaoithe. That's not a problem," Lupin replied thoughtfully. "May I accompany you?"

Lovegood, Lupin and Gaoithe decided to leave right after their meeting. First of all, Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form and then tried to change into a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, sighing in relief, when Lovegood applauded with excitement. Gaoithe looked down his body that looked similar to a small sea dragon. His skin was light green and from the consistence resembled that of a snake. He tried to make a few steps forward, noticing that it was no problem, before he changed back into his phoenix form and listened closely to the detailed instructions of where he had to flash. He nodded to signalise that he had understood and flashed away as soon as the professor and the reporter grabbed his tail feathers.

風の力を持つハリー

With the two adults in tow, Gaoithe reappeared on a deserted beach that was half covered with a thin layer of snow. '_The water looks really cold_,' Gaoithe mused, not really ready to give up his warm feathers in favour of the sea dragon's skin. However, as soon as he transformed into the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, he didn't feel cold, and the water looked extremely inviting. He spent a while on the beach, before he entered the water for a swim, instinctively knowing where he wanted to go. There was a small cave with an entrance towards the open sea, and Gaoithe hesitantly hovered in front of the small opening, when he heard other animals of the same species chatter animatedly.

=Hello?= he asked timidly, causing a small group of animals to come towards the entrance.

=Hello there,= one of them replied in apparent surprise. =Where do you come from? Are there more of us? We thought that we were the only ones left.=

=I'm just on my own,= Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. "However, in fact I am a human that can change into your species.=

=What do you want then?= another animal asked, sounding very upset. =It's the humans that destroy our place to live. We don't have a safe place to breed anymore as we need to keep our eggs in the water; however, the sea here is too dirty for any baby to survive.=

'_In case they need salt water, we just have to charm a small part of the lake_,' Gaoithe thought. =I am together with two other humans, who want to help you. We'd like to offer you to come to our park, where you will find the conditions that you need to breed your babies,= he suggested carefully, wondering if he would be able to transform into his phoenix form while he was swimming, in case the other animals decided to attack him.

=This sounds very inviting; however, how do we know that this isn't a trap?= one of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks asked with obvious suspicion.

Gaoithe frowned. =I am sorry,= he finally said. =I can only give you my word that I'll look after you and help you speak with the humans if you need anything. I promise that I'll take you back here if you don't like it at our place.=

=I think we don't have much to lose. I'd love to breed,= another animal said eagerly, and two others agreed.

=Take us there, please.=

Gaoithe nodded and instructed the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks to follow him as he slowly made his way back to the beach, where Professor Lupin and Mr. Lovegood were waiting for him. He motioned for the group to wait for a moment, until they had found a transport method, before he transformed back into his human form.

"They are willing to come with us to Hogwarts, because I promised that we were going to provide a place for them to breed. We need to charm a part of the lake to become salt water though," Gaoithe explained to the stunned adults.

"That won't be a problem, Gaoithe," Lupin said gently. He pulled a necklace out from under his robes, took it off and enlarged it to a huge rope. "Gaoithe, please transform back and ask them to grab the rope with one of their feet; this will take us to Hogwarts."

Gaoithe complied, and a few minutes later, a Portkey transported the two adult wizards and seven Crumple-Horned Snorkacks to the Hogwarts grounds. Gaoithe showed his six new friends the lake and explained that they still had to prepare an adequate area for them in the lake as well as other spots that they were going to need.

=This lake looks wonderfully clean, although we probably need sea water,= one of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks voiced.

=Give me a moment to discuss this. We'll help you as soon as we can,= Gaoithe promised and transformed back into his human form. "Shall I ask Professor Flitwick to come and charm the lake?" he asked Lupin, who was observing his interactions with the rare animals with amusement.

"Yes Gaoithe, I believe that would be the best," Lupin agreed, causing Gaoithe to change into his phoenix form and flash into the castle to fetch the Charms professor.

A short time later, the part of the lake that was nearest towards the Shrieking Shack and the forest was separated from the rest and contained fresh, salty water, and the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks curiously entered their new home. Lupin and Gaoithe promised Mr. Lovegood that he could come back on Sunday morning in order to take photos of their new residents and would even be able to interview them with Gaoithe as interpreter, and the journalist happily took his leave.

"Mr. Lovegood is amazing," Lupin told Gaoithe as they remained at the lake for a few more minutes to observe the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks play. "I spoke with him for quite a while, and his research and knowledge about rare magical creatures is enormous."

"Do you think he would be willing to come to Hogwarts as our new research professor?" Gaoithe queried, "provided that he is interested in computers as well, but I can imagine that a computer would be very convenient for him as an editor."

"Gaoithe, I believe that this is a brilliant idea," Lupin said thoughtfully. "I will speak with your mother about the matter, and if she agrees as well, we'll ask him when he comes back tomorrow."

Gaoithe once again transformed into a Crumple-Horned Snorkack to speak with the animals, who apparently already liked their new home, before he returned home, feeling very reassured when Professor Lupin promised to inform Hagrid about their new residents and ask him to look after them.

'_I hope Lovegood will accept the post_,' Gaoithe thought as he walked through the empty corridors. '_Will he be able to publish the Quibbler from here though? Maybe I should wait until tomorrow, before I go back to the past for my second Hogwarts year. If I intend to come back on the same day, it doesn't really matter when I leave anyway_.'

He was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that he did not notice what happened, before he stumbled, landing on a very soft ground that seemed to give in under his weight. Gaoithe looked around in shock, before he heard a well-known, cackling laughter and groaned in annoyance. "Merlin!" he shouted angrily. "Be careful, or I'm going to lock you into Salazar's chamber once again."

Ghost Merlin hurriedly appeared through a wall and said in a sing-song, which strangely reminded Gaoithe of the Weasley twins, "Oh no, no, it's all right, Gaoithe. I'm sorry; I didn't know that it was you."

An instant later, the mud, into which Gaoithe had stumbled, changed back into the usual floor of the dungeons. '_I don't believe a word_,' Gaoithe thought and without further acknowledging the ghost's presence transformed into his phoenix form and flashed home.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe spent the rest of the day playing with Uisce, wondering how he was going to survive nearly four months in the past without his parents and especially his cute sister nearby. '_Maybe they can give me assignments, so that I can finish the rest of my second year here on my own_,' he mused; '_otherwise, the gap between my year here in the future and that in the past will become so large, and I'm going to get too old if I spent a whole year in the past every year_.'

"I believe that is a good idea. It probably will be the best if you speak with Professor Hufflepuff about the matter," Severus suggested when Minerva, Severus and Gaoithe had tea together after putting Uisce to bed. "She is your Head of House in the past, and she will surely understand your problem. Perhaps she'll even be able to convince her colleagues, especially her husband. By the way, Gaoithe..." He raised an eyebrow at his son, who was looking at him curiously. "Your mother and I decided that I will accompany you, provided that you still plan to return on the same day on which you leave."

"Really?" Gaoithe queried, casting his parents a surprised but hopeful look.

"Really," Severus confirmed, smirking.

"That's cool," Gaoithe replied, suddenly feeling very relieved at the thought. "Thank you, Dad," he said gratefully. '_I'm being stupid_,' he thought to himself. '_The other students don't have their parents at Hogwarts either, but I only need to climb these stairs to come home. Maybe it's just different, because it took me so long to finally get a family of my own, so that I don't want to miss them_.'

"When do you intend to leave? Tonight?" Severus' question brought Gaoithe back to reality.

"I thought maybe tomorrow evening," he said hesitantly. "I thought maybe it'll be interesting to see Mr. Lovegood and the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. I think they also need me in case Mr. Lovegood wants to ask them something."

"Of course, they will need you for their conversation," Severus agreed with apparent amusement.

"However," Minerva threw in thoughtfully, "wouldn't it be a good idea to try retrieving some information about them and perhaps other animals, which are missing or very rare in our time, while you're in the past?"

"Oh Mum, that's a brilliant idea," Gaoithe said in excitement. "I didn't even think of that." He turned back to his father. "Dad, would you mind if we left tonight?"

Severus had already packed everything, and Minerva quickly helped Gaoithe to magically pack everything that he needed for the four months in the past, so that they could leave twenty minutes later. Minerva pulled each of them in bear hugs, instructing them to take good care of each other.

"Don't worry, Mum; we'll do that," Gaoithe reassured her as he slowly freed himself out of her embrace, "and we'll be back tomorrow morning at the latest."

On their way down the seemingly infinite staircase, Severus and Gaoithe discussed when they wanted to arrive in the past. "I'd prefer to arrive on the thirty-first of August," Gaoithe said, yawning. "I'd love to get a good night's sleep before the beginning of the school year."

"That's a good idea," Severus agreed, "especially since you didn't have any holidays yet. Are you sure that you don't mind missing all of your holidays in order to study in the past and the future? Maybe you should get at least a few days of rest."

Gaoithe chuckled. "I'm sure, Dad," he said firmly and made sure that they arrived in the afternoon on the last day of the summer holidays before his second Hogwarts year in the past. However, when Severus and Gaoithe left Merlin House in search for the Founders, they couldn't find anyone, neither in the Great Hall, nor in the Headmaster's office, in the Founders' quarters or in Hufflepuff House. Even the kitchens were empty.

"Hogwarts is completely deserted," Severus stated dryly. "Gaoithe, are you sure that we arrived at the correct time?"

"Of course," Gaoithe replied, looking at his father in confusion.

Severus pointed his wand at the wall, casting a tempus charm, which told him that it was 5:20 p.m. on the 31st of August in the year 993. "The date is correct," he announced as he slid back his wand into his robe pocket.

"I know what we can do," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "Ceridwen's parents live just behind the Apparition border in Hogsmeade. Let's go and ask if they know what's happening."

Severus agreed, and father and son strode to Hogsmeade, enjoying their walk through the sunny grounds. "Everything seems quieter than in our own time," Gaoithe thought aloud, causing Severus to smirk.

"Without any dunderheads and know-it-alls in the castle, it's always peaceful and quiet."

"Yes, I know, and all students are dunderheads anyway. Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe replied calmly, chuckling as he was already used to his father's expressions. Suddenly, he glanced around and said with excitement, "If you look at the grounds now, without the Shrieking Shack, it's easier to imagine having the zoo here. Maybe we shouldn't rebuild the Shack to another huge building but just build the zoo as it is with a few single buildings here and there. It should be possible to magically enlarge the zoo within its bounders, shouldn't it?"

"That would be possible," Severus said thoughtfully, trying to follow the train of Gaoithe's thoughts.

"Well, then we could have one entrance here that is always open for the students and the staff and another one on the Hogsmeade side, which is open to the public at certain times," Gaoithe continued eagerly. "This area is huge enough to even add a classroom for Care of Magical Creatures right next to the zoo."

Severus shot Gaoithe a proud look. "Take notes of your ideas, so that you still remember everything when we'll go back to the future. Then I suggest that you discuss the details with Professor Lupin, considering that he is not only the Care of Magical Creatures professor, but the Deputy Headmaster as well."

"I'll do that," Gaoithe agreed and pointed to the house in front of them. "Here is where the Hufflepuffs live."

Father and son quickly approached the stone building, and Gaoithe hesitantly knocked at the door, sighing in relief when Ceridwen's mother opened the door.

"Gaoithe!" Heather Hufflepuff said in surprise. "How nice of you to visit us. Come in." She held her hand out to Severus. "I am Heather Hufflepuff, Ceridwen's mother."

"Severus Snape, Gaoithe's father," Severus introduced himself, slightly inclining his head. "Please accept my apology for disturbing you at this time; however, we just arrived back for the new school year and found the castle completely deserted."

"Ah," Heather said in understanding. "Then it was the right thing to come here." She ushered Severus and Gaoithe into the living room. "Now take a seat; I'm just going to make tea," she said gently, causing Gaoithe to inwardly chuckle.

'_She is like Ceridwen_,' he thought, feeling strangely at home in the small living room. "Excuse me, Ms. Hufflepuff, but where is everyone? And where is Ceridwen?" he suddenly remembered to ask, trying to suppress a huge yawn.

"Everyone is having a huge party at the Ravenclaw's house, because the old Ravenclaws, the grandparents of Rowena Ravenclaw, whom you probably know, are having their eightieth birthday today." Seeing that Gaoithe looked at her in surprise, she added, "Yes, they were both born on the same day. I'm only at home, because I just came back from assisting with a baby's birth and wanted to have some quiet time. I'm the Healer here in Hogsmeade," she explained to Severus.

Severus and Gaoithe sighed in relief. "So everyone is going to return to Hogwarts tonight?" Severus confirmed, causing the friendly witch to nod.

"Yes, they will, although it might be late tonight. Ceridwen should be home by nine though. She will only return to Hogwarts tomorrow." Heather began to pour the tea into the stoneware cups, when she interrupted herself and asked softly, "Gaoithe, are you feeling all right? You're very pale."

"I'm fine," Gaoithe replied in surprise, suddenly realising that he had been on the verge of falling asleep. "I'm just a bit tired," he admitted in a quiet voice.

"We left quite late in the evening in our time," Severus explained in his soft, baritone voice.

"Very well then," Heather said resolutely. "Gaoithe, you'll drink a cup of warm milk and then you'll go to bed. The two of you can stay in Helga's and Ceridwen's room tonight; Helga is going to return to Hogwarts anyway, and Ceridwen loves to sleep in my bed from time to time."

The Snapes noticed soon that Heather was a very stubborn woman and that they had no choice than to obey. Thirty minutes later, Gaoithe found himself in a most comfortable bed and drifted off to sleep as soon as his head came to lie on the pillow.

"You have a wonderful son," Heather said to Severus. "Ceridwen has been talking about him the whole holidays, and she has been begging Helga and me to allow her to travel with you to the future for a while."

Together with Ceridwen, Severus and Gaoithe returned to Hogwarts after remaining the morning with Heather and Heath in Hogsmeade. Ceridwen and Gaoithe spent a few hours talking in Ceridwen's and Helga's room, until Heather called them for lunch, causing Gaoithe to let out a gasp. "It's already lunchtime?" he asked in disbelief. "There are still so many things that I need to tell you."

"Yeah, I'd love to hear more about the zoo," Ceridwen agreed, smiling at her best friend. "I'm so happy that you're back safely."

"Your mother is really nice," Gaoithe said on the way back to the castle, thinking that Ceridwen, Helga and their mother all had the same kind way of interacting with people.

Ceridwen chuckled. "She told me that she likes you and your father as well, and that maybe I'll be allowed to accompany you to the future for a while, but she told me that I have to ask Helga before you go back again, because she's my Head and guardian during the school year and because she knows you and your parents better."

'_I hope Professor Hufflepuff will allow her to come. Uisce would love having her over. She'll probably adore her_,' he thought as he recalled how well Ceridwen had been able to look after his sister when she was a baby.

When they arrived at the castle, Ceridwen and Gaoithe had to help Helga with last minute preparations, and Gaoithe enjoyed himself immensely. Too soon for his liking, the students arrived back and the Sorting ceremony began. '_When are they going to introduce Merlin House?_' Gaoithe wondered. '_The House is already completely ready; Sopho only has to sort the students accordingly_.' However, just like in the previous year, the Sorting Hat did not put any student into the fifth House.

Four first years were sorted into Hufflepuff, and Ceridwen, Gawain and Gaoithe busied themselves to tell them everything about Hogwarts. Ceridwen and Gawain seemed to feel very big now that they were second years and could help the smaller students; however, for Gaoithe it was a strange feeling to begin his second year again, although he had already finished the first half of his third year in the future. '_Thank Merlin everything is so different here from the future; otherwise, it would be boring for me, and if I attended higher classes, I couldn't be together with Ceridwen and Gawain anymore_,' he thought in relief as he settled into his dormitory in Hufflepuff.

風の力を持つハリー

To his surprise, Gaoithe realised soon that he didn't have any problems to adjust to the situation in the past. '_It's as if I had just left at the beginning of the summer holidays and came back just like everyone else_,' he thought in amusement. '_In fact, it must even be easier for me, because I live at Hogwarts the whole year, I know more about magic than my classmates here, and Dad is here as well_.' Knowing that his father used the time to intensely study old potions, he decided to stay in Hufflepuff with his friends and only returned home for a few hours during the weekends or when he wanted to see his father for some reason. Ceridwen and Gawain eagerly suggested helping him find animals for his zoo, although his two friends had no idea, which magical animals would still exist in the future.

"It doesn't matter; just tell me about all animals you know," Gaoithe said, smirking. "We can make a list, and afterwards I can still ask Professor Gryffindor if he knows any other animals that I could possibly take with me to the future."

"Do you still have Harplay penguins in the future?" Gawain asked one evening after curfew, when the three friends were sitting on Gaoithe's bed together, causing Gaoithe to look up in surprise.

"Harplay penguins?" he queried, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

Gawain absentmindedly played with a unicorn treat that he had found in his robe pocket earlier. "Yeah, they're too funny and might be really interesting if you don't have them in the future," he replied, before he explained, "Their side wings look like harps, and since they love to scratch their bellies with their side wings, they look as if they were playing harps. They also make nice sounds that sound like music. Ceridwen, do you know if there are any Harplay penguins in the Hogwarts lake?"

"Penguins live in ice, don't they? Wouldn't the lake here be much too warm for them?" Gaoithe blurted out astonished.

"They're magical animals, Gaoithe, and yes, there are some in the lake," Ceridwen replied, smirking. "Let's go and show them to Gaoithe. I'm sure that he'll love them."

"Now?" Gaoithe queried, quirking an eyebrow. "It's nearly midnight."

"Well, what's the problem?" Ceridwen asked impatiently. "You can flash us outside, can't you?"

"We're going to be in so much trouble with your sister," Gaoithe sighed but obediently transformed into his phoenix form and flashed outside with his two friends in tow, only to glance around in shock when he arrived on the grounds.

The grounds were full with all imaginable kinds of animals that were running around, playing and sitting on the grounds. Gaoithe hurriedly transformed back into his human form and asked urgently, "Ceridwen, are you sure that it's all right for us to be out here? Aren't there any dangerous animals among them?"

Ceridwen chuckled. "No Gaoithe, the grounds are charmed so that animals, which can harm humans, won't be able to enter," she explained patiently. "They're all harmless. Nevertheless, Professor Gryffindor placed a charm on the grounds, which only enables the animals to enter after curfew. That's why you probably didn't notice them before. They come here to play and take a bath every night."

Gaoithe stared at a small group of animals nearby. "Are these griffins?" he asked in amazement.

"Yes, they're griffins," Gawain said in surprise. "Don't you have any in the future?"

Gaoithe shook his head. "No. I don't know why we don't have them anymore, but I've never seen any."

"All right then, do you want to walk around the lake to the spot, where you can often find the Harplay penguins?" Ceridwen suggested, pulling her robes tighter around herself.

"Are you cold?" Gaoithe asked in concern, only now noticing that it was a fairly cold evening. He quickly took his own robes off and gently draped them around Ceridwen's shoulders, ignoring the girl's protests and glares.

"Over there," Gawain suddenly shouted, pointing to a group of dark animals. The three friends hurried to the other side of the lake, and Gaoithe looked at the Harplay penguins with interest.

"It really looks and even sounds as if they were playing harps," he said in amazement. "Wow, they're absolutely cool. I'll try to take at least one pair of them with me, when I return to the future the next time." '_I hope they'll agree to come just like the Snorkacks did_,' he thought, unable to take his eyes off the interesting species. "Would you mind if I called my father and showed them to him?" he asked hesitantly, casting his friends a questioning look.

"If he won't give us out to my sister or the other teachers," Ceridwen was the first to reply.

"He won't," Gaoithe said and thought to his father, 'Dad, can you come out to the grounds for a while? I want to show you the Harplay penguins. They're absolutely cool.'

Severus' reply came an instant later. 'Don't tell me that you're still out on the grounds. Do you know how late it is? Curfew has already begun an hour ago.'

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. 'Yes, I know, but apparently, most of the animals are only able to enter the grounds after curfew. It's fantastic out here. Oh well, sorry Dad. We're going to return to our common room now.'

'We can go out together one night during the weekend,' Severus promised. 'Good night, Gaoithe.'

'Good night, Dad,' Gaoithe thought back, before he told his friends about his father's reaction, only now noticing that it was really cold and dark outside.

In the morning, Gaoithe woke up coughing and sneezing. '_Oh no; I better go and ask Dad for a Pepperup potion, before Hufflepuff sees me_,' he thought and quickly informed Gawain, before he flashed home into the Snapes' quarters. Severus and Gaoithe spent the hour until breakfast talking about the animals that Gaoithe had seen the previous evening, and Severus promised to ask Professor Hufflepuff if he could take the trio out onto the grounds during Friday and Saturday nights in order to study the animals.

Helga readily agreed, and during the next few months, Severus and the three friends spent many hours out on the grounds researching all the animals that frequented the Hogwarts grounds during the nights. "I hope that they'll agree to travel into the future with us," Gaoithe said to his father at the beginning of December. "Do you have an idea how we're going to take them with us at all?"

"It probably would be the best if you transformed into each single form and spoke with them," Severus replied thoughtfully. "However, I believe that you should dismiss the matter for the time being and concentrate on your school work. Professor Salazar told me that you messed up your second year potion the day before yesterday..." He raised an eyebrow at his son as he continued, "and Professor Gryffindor complained that you didn't practise enough for your Sword fighting class on the same day."

Gaoithe inwardly groaned in annoyance. '_So much about trying to hide this from Dad_,' he thought, before he hesitantly began to explain about the matter that had been bothering him since the beginning of the school year.

_tbc..._


	31. Chapter 31

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 31**

"Ever since we came back here," Gaoithe said in a small voice, "I'm getting headaches each time I go into the Potions classroom. I have no idea why; it's as if someone was playing a prank on me." Seeing that Severus gave him a thoughtful look, he elaborated, "It probably has nothing to do with the Potions classroom, because it doesn't happen when I just go to meet with you and brew together. However, I always have the problem when I go to our Potions class, and it makes it really hard to concentrate, especially as it lasts about two or three hours." He slowly trailed off, seeing that Severus' expression turned from slight concern to anger.

"This has been continuing from the beginning of the school year onwards?" Severus queried sternly and, when Gaoithe nodded, continued, "And why did you not inform me of the problem much earlier?"

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. "It's not a big deal, and there is nothing that you can do about it anyway."

Severus glared at his son. "If there is someone playing a prank on you three times a week over four months, it is a big deal, Gaoithe. When is your next Potions class?"

"First thing in the morning tomorrow," Gaoithe replied, looking helplessly at his father. "I spoke with Ceridwen and Gawain about it, and they're really trying to keep as close as possible to me whenever we go to the dungeons. We even tried to flash right in front of the classroom, but by the time I enter the classroom, I can already feel the headache begin."

Severus remained thoughtful for an instant, before he said slowly, "Well, that rules out that someone is casting a spell on you on the way. Someone has to cast it right in front of the classroom."

"That's true," Gaoithe agreed, "but we can't see anyone. Maybe it's one of the house-elves. They can make themselves invisible, can't they?"

"They can, but why would they do such a thing?" Severus said doubtfully. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to follow you in my lynx form and under an invisibility charm. We'll see if I notice anything that is out of the normal."

"Maybe Slytherin just doesn't like me and does something to me," Gaoithe spoke up in an upset voice. "So far, I got all the potions right. Does he really have to complain to you when I mess up just once?"

"No Gaoithe, he didn't complain; he seemed concerned about you," Severus explained, glancing at his wrist watch. "We still have two hours left before curfew. Shall we go to the classroom and brew for a while?"

While they worked on a few modern potions for the hospital room, Gaoithe completely forgot about the matter; however, when he walked down to the dungeons again in the morning, he hesitantly glanced around. '_Somehow I have the feeling as if whoever it is who pranks me won't do anything if Dad is behind me_,' he thought; however, his invisible attacker either did not notice the lynx that was following him closely or he did not care.

風の力を持つハリー

Severus carefully observed the dungeon corridor as he followed Gaoithe and his two friends to the Potions classroom. Of course, he knew the way and every stone in this corridor by heart. Therefore, he was aware of where someone could hide; however, he could not see anyone. He was just about to give up and leave as Gaoithe entered the classroom, when he saw from the corners of his eyes how a white arm along with a head appeared through the wall that was exactly opposite of the classroom door. '_A ghost, no, not any ghost; that's Merlin_,' Severus realised, observing in anger how the ghost pointed his hand at his son. '_Why would Merlin want to prank Gaoithe? And that each time he goes to his Potions class?_' he wondered as he returned to his quarters in absolute confusion.

While he spent the next few hours brewing several ancient potions, Severus thought about the matter and came to the conclusion that he could not do anything against the ghost in private, but that he had to speak with the Founders about the ghost. At lunchtime, he informed the four professors, who were as surprised and confused as himself.

"I will summon him to my office after the last afternoon class," Godric promised and instructed Helga to check on Gaoithe and inform him that he wanted to see him as well in the afternoon.

"That was Merlin?" Gaoithe asked in shock when Helga told him about Severus' findings. "After all that I did for him in the future? I know that the future Merlin told him what happened to him."

"I know," Helga said gently. "We are all very upset about the matter, although I don't appreciate that you didn't tell your father or me that you were suffering from headaches much earlier. Anyway, please accompany me to the Headmaster's office right after your last afternoon class. Ghost Merlin will be there as well."

When Gaoithe entered Godric's office together with Helga, his father and the other professors were already assembled. However, there was no sign of Ghost Merlin.

'Thank you, Dad, for finding out that it was Merlin,' Gaoithe thought to his father, who raised an eyebrow at him and returned a slight smile, instants before two ghosts swept into the room. One of them was the Bloody Baron, the other Merlin.

"Here he is," the Bloody Baron said, looking at the other ghost with apparent satisfaction.

"Thank you," the Slytherin Head thanked his House ghost, before he pointed his wand at Merlin and stunned him.

'_I didn't know that it was possible to stun ghosts_,' Gaoithe thought, looking at the Founder in amazement.

"Merlin," Godric began to speak in an angry voice, glaring at the ghost, "Professor Snape told us that you have been casting spells at his son to make him sick three times a week since the beginning of the school year. What do you think you're doing?"

Merlin laughed in his cackling voice, with which Gaoithe was more familiar than he would have liked to be. "My future self told me that he was the one to discover my House. He's now here for the second year and still did not fight for me and my House. He needs to tell that stupid Sorting Hat to sort students into my House. Until he complies, I think I'm going to continue playing pranks on him," Merlin informed his audience in an annoying singsong.

"Making someone sick so that he can't properly study is not a harmless prank. It is evil," Helga threw in, before anyone else could react. "You will stop doing this immediately, and if you behave and only then, we're going to consider allowing Sopho to sort students into your House from the next school year onwards. We won't have students be sorted into a House that has a bad reputation from the beginning."

Gaoithe stared at his Head of House in surprise. '_Wow, I've never heard her speak so angrily. I hope that I'll never get onto her bad side_,' he thought, averting his eyes to the floor as the other three Founders agreed. Finally, the Headmaster dismissed everyone. Before he released the ghost from the stunning spell, Salazar informed Merlin that he would lock him into his secret chambers if he ever harmed a student or anyone else again.

Nevertheless, Ghost Merlin left the room with his annoying laughter and a singsong that sounded like 'going to see'. Gaoithe groaned in annoyance. '_I just hope he'll leave me in peace. I really have to concentrate on my studies, especially since we're going to have our tests in a weeks' time_.' He felt very reassured, when Severus gave him a small phial, explaining that it was a special potion and that he only had to take a small sip if he had a headache again. However, during the next three weeks until the beginning of the holidays, Merlin did not bother Gaoithe again, and Gaoithe slowly began to forget about the matter as he began to concentrate on other topics.

Gaoithe decided to only take a pair of Harplay penguins, another pair of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and one pair of Bubble Expelling tortoises with him to the future for the time being. '_In the summer, the zoo will probably be ready, and I'll be able to take more animals with me_,' he resolved. On the weekend after their test week, he spent a few hours in the form of each of the three kinds of animals and managed to convince a pair of each to come along in order for their species to survive in the future.

During the last week before the beginning of the holidays, he told Ceridwen and Gawain everything about his life in the future, classes in the future and the future in general, hoping that Ceridwen would be allowed to accompany him at least for the few months until he would come back at the beginning of the summer holidays.

"I really want to go with you, if you don't mind," Ceridwen said in determination. "Gaoithe, will you come with me to ask Helga if I can?"

Gaoithe agreed, and while Gawain busied himself trying to charm a Christmas present for his parents, Ceridwen and Gaoithe went to speak with their Head of House, Ceridwen's older sister. Helga was just busy looking after a student with large green boils from a potions accident and motioned for them to wait in her office for a few minutes.

"I feel bad for Gawain," Ceridwen said thoughtfully. "On the other hand, I don't want to miss that fun just because I'm sorry for him."

"I fully understand," Gaoithe said sympathetically. "I feel the same, and I really hope that your sister will allow you to come with me. Originally, I wanted to ask the professors if they could give me the assignments for the second half of the second year, so that I could complete everything in the future and only return for the beginning of our third year, but..."

"Gaoithe! That's a fantastic idea," Ceridwen interrupted him with excitement. "Let's ask Helga about this as well."

Helga frowned upon hearing their plan; however, she smiled and said, "I agree that you accompany Gaoithe to the future under three conditions, which are that Gaoithe brings you back before the beginning of the new school year, that Professor Snape is willing to become your guardian in the future, so that you're not alone in case anything unforeseeable happens, and that you, and this goes for Gaoithe as well, complete all of your assignments before you come back. I'll speak with Gaoithe's father about the guardianship matter, and I'll ask my colleagues to give you enough assignments to make up for all the classes, which you're going to miss." She remained thoughtful for an instant, before she continued, "Both of you will have to take your end of year tests during the last week of the summer holidays."

To Ceridwen's and Gaoithe's relief, everyone agreed to their plan, and on the first day of the winter holidays, after most of the students had left the castle to return home, the Founders accompanied Severus and them to Merlin House. Each of the three time travellers was carrying a cage with a pair of magical animals for the zoo. '_I hate these steps; they're annoying, and it's really tiring to climb them_,' Gaoithe thought, wondering if he should flash them upstairs. He glanced back, somehow strangely having the feeling as if someone or something was there, but he couldn't see anything and dismissed the matter. '_Maybe it was the Bubbles Expelling tortoises_,' he mused. "Shall we flash?" he suggested, and Ceridwen and Severus happily agreed.

"No," Gaoithe heard a voice shout that sounded panicked, right before he felt a third person grab his tail feathers. However, it was already too late to stop the process, and they were whisked away. When they arrived in front of the door leading to the Merlin cellar, Gaoithe transformed back, sighing in relief when his father spoke up first.

"Who is there? Reveal yourself," Severus demanded, pulling his wand.

"It's me, Gawain," a timid voice replied, and all of a sudden, Gawain was standing in front of them. "I'm sorry; I cast an invisibility charm on myself and followed you."

"Do your parents know that you came with us?" Severus queried in a stern voice.

"Yes, that's because I didn't have time to inform you beforehand," Gawain said quickly, causing Gaoithe to cast his friend a huge smile.

'_That's too cool, having both my best friends from the past here_,' Gaoithe mused happily, absentmindedly telling the door when they wanted to arrive. "Shall I flash us straight home?" he asked Severus, who immediately agreed that it could be unfortunate to walk through the Merlin common room with two unknown students, one of them clothed in robes from the middle ages, especially since they were still carrying the animals in their cages.

Gaoithe flashed straight into his own room, so as not to startle Minerva by coming with two guests, before they walked calmly into the living room.

"Ceridwen and Gawain," Minerva said gently, looking up in surprise. "Welcome to the future." She chuckled, before she pulled her wand and waved it at Gawain, transfiguring his old fashioned attire into modern Hogwarts robes.

"Thank you, Professor," Gawain said in apparent relief, before Gaoithe and Severus sat on each side of Minerva and pulled her into hugs.

The Headmistress chuckled again. "You behave as if we hadn't seen each other for ages, although you just left a few minutes ago," she said, returning the embraces and kisses.

"For us it was ages and we missed you and Uisce," Gaoithe said, grinning sheepishly, before he showed his mother the new animals. "Can we go outside and place them onto the grounds right away?" he asked pleadingly.

"I don't think that it would be wise, Gaoithe," Severus replied thoughtfully. "We need to cast some charm on the animals first, so that they don't just run into the forest and stay away."

"Of course," Gaoithe groaned, slapping his forehead in annoyance. "Do you know such a charm?"

Severus smirked. "Professor Ravenclaw taught me a whole lot of charms that she thought could become useful for your zoo. If you're not tired, we could go out and go ahead with it. We might have to re-do the charms when you properly build the zoo and have certain living areas for the animals though." Seeing that Minerva cast him a disbelieving look, he explained, "I'm sorry, Minerva, but we left right after breakfast, so that we're not tired yet. However, I promise to bring them back in two hours at the latest." He called Cicero and instructed him to add a guest room each for Ceridwen and Gawain.

Severus, Gaoithe and the two students from the past spent the next two hours on the grounds, and the children observed in awe how he cast one charm after the next, although none of them had an idea of what the effects would be. "The last one was the spell that allows good natured magical animals to access the grounds after curfew," Severus finally explained.

"And the one before that, which you only cast at the animals that we brought, sir?" Ceridwen asked curiously.

"That was a charm that makes them feel at home and comfortable, so that they're going to build families soon," Severus replied, chuckling. "I suggest, however, that you don't speak with anyone about the charms that I cast. No one needs to know that these animals are not supposed to be here anymore."

Everyone nodded and quietly observed the animals play in the moonlight, before Gaoithe finally suggested to go home and get some sleep, remembering that Mr. Lovegood was going to visit in the morning in order to find out more about the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. '_I wonder what he'll say when he sees the Harplay penguins and the Bubble Expelling tortoises_,' Gaoithe thought, trying to remember if Lovegood had already agreed to become the new research professor. '_Everything is such a long time ago_,' he thought as he climbed into bed. '_I hope he will. We could have computers in every classroom or at least in each House, and he could make a newspaper for the students, which we can read on the computers, and he could still sell a printed version to others_.' With that thought in mind, he drifted off to sleep at three o'clock in the morning, unaware that the new Deputy Headmaster would try in vain to convince Mr. Lovegood of the same matter just a few hours later.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe woke up to having one of Uisce's feet in his face. "Oh Uisce, get off," he mumbled sleepily. "It's too early yet."

"Gee-haa," Uisce cheered, placing a sloppy kiss onto her adored big brother's cheek. "Up," she demanded and seemed not even convinced when Gaoithe pointed out that it was still dark outside.

"Gaoithe, are you awake?" he suddenly heard Minerva's voice and mumbled something in return. "Professor Lupin just called and told me that he was heading out onto the grounds with Mr. Lovegood," Minerva informed him, sticking her head through the door.

"Kay, I'm coming," Gaoithe replied, gently placing his sister onto the ground in front of his bed. "Sorry, Uisce, but I need to get dressed and quickly flash outside for a while," he said softly.

"Noo, Ish wif," Uisce argumented, causing her mother to gently pick her up.

"No Uisce, leave Gaoithe in peace. He needs to get ready. Gaoithe, what would you like for breakfast?"

Gaoithe quickly fastened his wrist watch. "I'll eat something later on," he said firmly. "I don't want to miss what Mr. Lovegood is going to do on the grounds." Ignoring his mother's glare, he hurried into the bathroom, and five minutes later, he already flashed out onto the grounds, where Professor Lupin and Mr. Lovegood were standing next to the lake, looking at the Harplay penguins and Bubble expelling tortoises in disbelief.

'_I need to tell Lovegood about my trip to the past_,' Gaoithe thought. '_I don't like it, but how in the world am I supposed to explain where I got these animals, especially as I want to get more rare species in the summer?_' He quietly transformed back into his human form and greeted the adults.

"Good morning, Professor Lupin, Mr. Lovegood."

"Ah, there you are, Mr. Snape. I had hoped to meet you here," Lovegood greeted him, slightly inclining his head. "I see that you managed to retrieve some very exotic species."

Seeing that the man looked at him in expectance, Gaoithe cleared his throat and slowly began to speak, "Mr. Lovegood, in order to tell you how I was able to get these animals, I need you to swear me a Wizard's Oath that you will not share my secret with anyone."

While Mr. Lovegood cast him a surprised look, Professor Lupin said in a firm but gentle voice, "Mr. Lovegood, I believe that Mr. Snape is absolutely correct to ask you for an oath, and I would advise you to do him the favour, because I am sure that you will like what he is going to tell you."

Lovegood nodded and pulled his wand. "I herewith swear on my magic that I will keep the information, which Gaoithe Snape is going to give me today, for myself."

Gaoithe sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mr. Lovegood," he said, before he explained about the staircase that led to the past up to the Founders' age, about his studies in the past and about other animals, which he had seen in the past and intended to bring them along some time.

"Ah, now I understand," Lovegood said, nodding contentedly. "I will write an article about the rare animals that you're gathering for your zoo at Hogwarts, but I won't mention that you brought them from one thousand years back in the past. Very well then, can you explain in detail what they are?"

Gaoithe, Lupin and Lovegood spent three hours at the lake, because Mr. Lovegood had many questions, and Gaoithe had to transform into an Harplay penguin and into a Bubble expelling tortoise to ask the animals questions and to translate for the wizard.

"Thank you so much for your time, Professor Lupin and Mr. Snape. Hogwarts continues to develop into an interesting place," Lovegood said gratefully when they finally walked back towards the castle.

"I think it's very interesting," Gaoithe said quickly, recalling that Professor Lupin had whispered to him that Lovegood had declined to become the research professor. "Wouldn't it be of interest for you, sir, if you remained at Hogwarts as a professor?" Before the man could even respond, he explained about the ideas that he had developed the previous night, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"That sounds indeed interesting," Lovegood said thoughtfully. "Professor Lupin, do you agree with all the points that Mr. Snape suggested, and Mr. Snape, would you be willing to assist, since I don't know anything about computers yet?"

'_Thank Merlin_,' Gaoithe thought, tuning the rest of the conversation out. '_What else did I have to do during these holidays? Everything is just getting too much, and I think I'm going to forget things_.'

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe returned home, pondering if he should take a short nap before lunch, he stopped dead in his tracks, seeing Ceridwen and Gawain playing with Uisce in the living room. '_I completely forgot about them_,' he thought, terrified. '_How is that possible? I'm so glad that they came with me_.'

"Ge-ha!" Uisce shouted happily, running through the room with excitement.

Hi," Gaoithe said to his friends, automatically picking up the small girl. "Are you awake?"

Ceridwen chuckled. "Your mother woke us and said we had to go to the Great Hall for lunch in a few minutes. You just missed your parents. Your mother went to answer something in her office, and your father was called to the Slytherin common room. Both said we should wait here. They'd come and fetch us for lunch."

Gaoithe glanced at his wrist watch. "It's all right. Let's go; I'm famished." He mind thought to Minerva and Severus that he was heading to the Great Hall together with Uisce, Ceridwen and Gawain and ushered everyone out into the dungeon corridor.

"Gaoithe, do you think they're going to sort us?" Ceridwen asked, sounding slightly uncertain at the thought of being re-sorted.

Gaoithe chuckled. "Considering that they re-sorted me in the past, I suppose they will, but it's all right. Since you're something like an original Hufflepuff, you'll probably end up there again. But it doesn't matter, where you're going to be sorted, we can still be best friends, and we can live in my parents' quarters anyway."

"Oh right," Ceridwen interrupted him excitedly. "I just remembered that I wondered if we should change my name? Does my name still exist in this time?"

Gaoithe let out a long sigh and gently picked up his sister, who was standing in front of him, both arms raised into the air, and demanded, "Up!"

"I don't think that the name Hufflepuff still exists, but none of the students will know that for sure, so it shouldn't be a problem," he finally replied, shrugging.

"Gaoithe," Gawain spoke up hesitantly, "if you and your parents don't mind, I think we should stay in their quarters. I feel very unsure how to behave, and everyone would soon notice that I come from a very different place."

"That's probably true," Ceridwen said thoughtfully. "Well, then it doesn't matter where the Hat sorts us. It's still Sopho, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Gaoithe said in disdain as he thought of the Sorting Hat, who had never been very friendly to him.

風の力を持つハリー

As could be expected, Ceridwen was sorted into Hufflepuff. However, Gaoithe and Ceridwen exchanged confused looks when Gawain was sorted into Slytherin.

"Slytherin?" Gaoithe queried in surprise, raising an eyebrow at his friend as he returned to his seat at the single table that was replacing the House tables and Head table during the holidays.

"Mr. Snape, do you have any problems with Slytherin?" Severus asked in a mock voice, causing everyone to laugh.

"No Professor, certainly not," Gaoithe replied, chuckling, before he turned to Gawain. "Beware of your Head of House. He is said to be very strict."

風の力を持つハリー

In the afternoon, Severus and Minerva decided to take the trio to London in order to show the two guests from the past parts of Muggle London and to make a short last minute Christmas shopping trip to Diagon Alley, knowing that Gaoithe so far hadn't had time to buy any presents. 'Mum, can you buy clothes for Ceridwen and Gawain please? They can't run around in their old fashioned clothes, and you can't keep transfiguring them every day. Take the money from my account,' Gaoithe thought to his mother when they entered the Leaky Cauldron.

"I won't do what you told me last, but it's no problem. That's what I intended to do anyway," Minerva replied gently, before she suggested to split up and meet again two hours later.

Everyone agreed, and Gaoithe and his two friends slowly walked though Diagon Alley, admiring the beautiful Christmas decoration in the windows of the shops on both sides of the street. "I need presents for my parents, for a few teachers and quite a lot of friends and for my sister," Gaoithe said, sighing in exasperation. "Where am I going to find that many presents in two hours?"

Ceridwen and Gawain exchanged a helpless look. After a few minutes of thinking, Gawain slowly spoke up. "Do your classmates already have their own swords?"

Gaoithe looked at his friend in surprise. "Oh no, we don't use swords anymore in this time," he said thoughtfully. "I'm not sure why though."

"Then you could teach your friends next year," Ceridwen said eagerly. "We're going to forge our own swords in our third year."

"Exactly," Gawain said, nodding. "And for Christmas you could make plates for each of them with the symbol of their Hogwarts House or whatever."

Gaoithe looked at his friends with excitement. "That's a brilliant idea. Do you know how to make these plates though?"

"Professor Gryffindor showed me how to make them," Gawain said, grinning, and pulled a small plate that was decorated with the Hufflepuff crest out of his robe pocket. "It's not so difficult. I can show you how to make it when we're back at Hogwarts."

'_I just hope we don't have to go to the past for that because we don't have the equipment_,' Gaoithe mused as they entered the toy shop. '_I'll pay Ghost Merlin a visit and ask him. I have a grudge to settle with him anyway_.'

風の力を持つハリー

It was early in the morning, and his friends were still asleep, when Gaoithe flashed into Merlin House to search Merlin. He found the ghost in the common room, where he was involved in a sincere conversation with the Merlin Head of House.

"Good morning, Gaoithe. You're up early," Pomfrey greeted him kindly, before she continued to scold the ghost. "How dare you play pranks on the students? They could have been badly injured."

"Oh Merlin loves to hurt students," Gaoithe threw in and told the professor what the ghost had done to him in the past.

"Is that true?" Pomfrey asked sternly, already knowing the answer from the grin on the ghost's face. "Very well, Merlin, this is the last warning. If I hear any more complaints about you, especially if I hear that you harmed anyone again, I will authorise Gaoithe Snape to lock you into Professor Slytherin's Chambers forever."

"Thank you, Professor," Gaoithe said gratefully, not even bothering to enquire what the mischievous ghost had done now. '_Maybe I better not ask him about making the plates for swords now_,' he thought. '_I could ask the Founders_.' "Professor," he hesitantly addressed his Head of House, "now that the seventh year boys' dormitory is used and we don't have our party room anymore, we don't have the possibility to speak with the Founders anymore, except for travelling to the past, which I don't want at the moment," he added hastily. "Would it perhaps be possible to have an additional dormitory added to the House? I know that we can ask the elves to change one of the existing dormitories, and we do that after each Quidditch match, but we need a room that would be available for at least a few days, because it's so much work to charm the bookshelf section, so that it works."

"I understand," Pomfrey replied, looking pensively at Gaoithe. "I believe that it would be a good idea to have a permanent room like the one you had before, since I always had the impression that it helped the Merlins to have fun together with the whole House instead of splitting into small groups like all the other Houses seem to do. Very well, Gaoithe; I'll speak with Misty and ask her to make an additional room. Call me if you want to set up an area for the Founders. I will not have you deplete your magic again trying to do everything on your own," she added strictly, causing Gaoithe to cringe at her stern look.

"I will," he promised. "Thank you, Professor." He slowly turned around to leave through the griffin door, when Marlin called out to him from the tapestry.

#Gaoithe, you don't think you're going to leave without even talking to us, are you?# the phoenix trilled, causing Gaoithe to roll his eyes as he stepped in front of the tapestry.

#Hi Marlin,# Gaoithe trilled after changing into his phoenix form, #how're things?#

#Ah, very quiet here during the holidays. You should come and visit more frequently,# the phoenix on the tapestry complained.

#I'm sorry, but since my friends have all gone home, and I have visitors from the past, who are not in Merlin House..." Gaoithe trailed off as he noticed a round, yellow fish that was sparkling in bright colours swim in the lake on the tapestry. '_I saw some of these in the past, but what are they?_' he wondered.

#A sparkle fish,# Marlin, who had followed his gaze, explained. #He has quite a story to share, but will you be able to transform into a fish, here in the common room?#

Gaoithe unconsciously let out a long sigh. #I can try to transfigure one of the seats into a bath tub and then transform; however, at the moment, I'm in need of an ancient room. Do you know if any of the animals knows such a room?#

Marlin fluffed his feathers in a huff. #You can ask Lena, the hippogriff. If you're lucky, she is in a good mood and tells you about the Requirement Room.#

#All right, I'll try that. Thank you, Marlin,# Gaoithe trilled and transformed into a hippogriff. =Hello Lena, may I disturb you for a moment?=

The hippogriff turned her head and came near the edge of the tapestry. =Hello there, my aren't you a beautiful young hippogriff?= she greeted him in a friendly voice. =Thank you so much for visiting.=

=Marlin advised me to speak with you, because you could tell me about the Requirement Room,= Gaoithe said, trying to get used to his large wings that made him keep thinking he was going to lose balance and would fall over to his left or right side.

=Ah, I see, and why would you need a room?= the older hippogriff lady enquired in a slightly sterner voice, causing Gaoithe to explain why he needed a room containing the equipment in order to make swords or parts for swords.=

=Aww, you want to gift these to your friends? How kind of you,= Lena said gently. =Go down to the cellar, and you'll find my room. It's at the far end on the right hand side. However, you must know exactly what you want; otherwise, it won't work.= With that she flapped her huge wings to open the cellar door, causing all the other animals to flee to the other side of the tapestry, complaining in loud voices.

Inwardly chuckling about the ruckus that the hippogriff had caused, Gaoithe profusely thanked her and changed back into his human form, before he eagerly ran downstairs. To his surprise, the corridor in the cellar had become about twice as long as it had been before. If so far The Staircase of Time had been at the far end, it was now in the middle of the long corridor. With excitement he entered the room labelled Requirement Room, only to find an empty stone room with a huge blackboard along with a box of white chalk, covering the larger wall of the room that was opposite the door.

"What am I supposed to do here?" he wondered aloud, looking up startled when a soft voice replied, coming from the blackboard.

"Draw what you require," it told him, causing Gaoithe to frown.

"But how can I draw something that I don't even know how it is supposed to look?" he asked back, wondering if the board would be able to help him.

"Then you will need to leave and do some more research," the voice sneered, before it quietened down completely and did not even reply anymore, when Gaoithe tried to ask more questions.

'_I'll fetch Gawain. Maybe he'll be able to draw the room that he used with Professor Gryffindor_,' Gaoithe decided and transformed into his phoenix form, not even bothering to close the door before he flashed away.

風の力を持つハリー

However, when Gaoithe returned home, he stopped dead in his tracks, looking in surprise at the scene in front of him. Minerva, Ceridwen and Gawain were busily decorating a huge Christmas tree, while Uisce was running around under their feet, cheering happily whenever a new colourful bauble was added to the beautiful tree. Severus was sitting in his favourite armchair, observing the scene from behind his potions magazine with clear amusement.

Gaoithe grinned as he approached the tree. He followed Ceridwen's example and transfigured a tissue into a golden bauble, before he charmed it, adding the image of a light emerald water phoenix with wings in several shades of green and blue. He waved his wand at the ornament and cast an unbreakable charm, before he fastened it to one of the lower branches of the tree. "Here Uisce, this is for you," he said, smiling at the small girl, who stood in front of her brother's art in total amazement.

"Ge-ha," she shouted happily and climbed onto his lap when Gaoithe decided to sit on the sofa next to his father and ask him about Gawain's idea for Christmas presents. '_So much about being able to talk to Dad_,' he thought in annoyance and instead of voicing his question used telepathy.

Severus smirked as he replied aloud, "I might be able to help you. Professor Gryffindor showed me his workspace just a few weeks ago, and he promised to teach me in sword fighting and help me make a sword when we return for your next school year. I'm not sure if I remember each detail of the room, but with Gawain's help it shouldn't be a problem."

However, even Gawain did not remember everything, and Severus and the three students spent several hours in the Merlin cellar experimenting in the Requirement Room. Gaoithe groaned in annoyance when Ghost Merlin came through the wall and asked what they were trying to do.

"How about helping us?" Gaoithe queried, raising an eyebrow at the ghost. "You still owe me an apology at the very least."

Merlin looked straight at the boy. "You probably won't believe me if I tell you that I'm sorry. I had no idea that my younger self was going to harm you. All right then, I'll help you. What can I do for you?"

While Gaoithe was stunned at the unexpected apology, Severus explained what they were trying to do, and to everyone's surprise, Ghost Merlin knew perfectly well how the room had to look, so that they could use it properly. During the next few hours, Gaoithe busied himself to create twenty plates with the help of his friends. Each of the plates was slightly different from the others, although all of them involved the Merlin crescent.

After dinner on Christmas Eve, Gaoithe sent Yuki out to bring the presents to his friends and handed Nina all the presents that were meant for the people residing at Hogwarts. '_I wonder if Uisce will like her train set of the Hogwarts Express_,' he mused. '_I'd have surely loved to get such a present at that time_.'

Needless to say, Uisce loved the train set that her adored big brother set up for her on Christmas morning. Ceridwen, Gawain and Gaoithe spent most part of the day helping the little girl to push the Hogwarts Express from London to Hogsmeade and back. Uisce squealed happily when Ceridwen suddenly had the idea to transfigure tissues into tiny people and animals that could ride on the roof of the train.

On New Year's Eve, a huge farewell party for Professor Dumbledore took place, and the three friends spent most of the week helping Gaoithe's parents to organise everything and prepare the Great Hall. Although the house-elves would have been well able to decorate the Great Hall accordingly, Minerva and Gaoithe and his two friends from the past had decided to decorate it like it was in the time of the Founders, and the party with the ancient touch was a huge success.

After breakfast on New Year's Day, Minerva asked, "Gaoithe, shouldn't the three of you use the remaining days of the holidays to get a head start on your assignments that the professors in the past gave you?"

Gaoithe groaned inwardly; however, knowing that they wouldn't have so much time when school was going to begin again, he slowly replied, "That's probably a good idea."

"I think so, too," Ceridwen echoed, and the three friends made themselves comfortable in Gaoithe's room.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we need to do some school work," Gaoithe told Uisce, who was hurriedly toddling behind them with a delighted expression on her face.

"It's all right, Gaoithe," Ceridwen said gently. "Uisce can sit next to us and play."

Gaoithe raised an eyebrow at his friend and grinned, knowing that his sister was unable to remain quiet for longer than three minutes. He fetched the parchments with his assignments from the shelf, causing Gawain to eye the pile in confusion.

"Did they give you so much homework over the holidays?" he asked in disbelief.

Ceridwen cast him a stern look. "Gawain, tell us the truth. Did you speak with my sister about coming here to the future with us?" she asked strictly.

"Um... Not exactly," Gawain stammered. "I only told my parents that I wasn't going home during the holidays."

"You came here without telling anyone?" Gaoithe asked in disbelief. "But we're only going to return to the past at the end of the summer holidays."

"Oh no," Gawain groaned. "I completely forgot about that."

Gaoithe sighed in exasperation. "Well, we better not tell my parents about this, but we have to think about what to do," he said pensively.

"There is not much to think about," Ceridwen said, glaring at the two boys. "My sister will be so worried if Gawain doesn't show up for the Welcoming Feast at the beginning of January. She'll contact his parents the same day, and if she hears that he didn't return home at all, she'll know that he accompanied us. Can you imagine how angry she's going to be? Gawain, I wouldn't want to be you."

Gaoithe let out a groan. "Oh right, I can imagine," he said, remembering just how angry his Head of House of the past had been upon hearing that Merlin had hurt him. "Speaking of Merlin," he said thoughtfully; "he seemed to feel a bit guilty because of what his younger self did to me. Maybe I can coax him into travelling to the past to talk to Professor Hufflepuff."

"That's a fantastic idea," Ceridwen agreed. "Please tell him to bring us a confirmation that Helga received the message, just to be sure that he really spoke with her."

"Thank you," Gawain said in a small voice. "Sorry to bother you."

"That's all right," Gaoithe replied softly and nodded at Ceridwen in understanding, before he transformed and flashed away to speak with the ghost.

Unfortunately, Helga Hufflepuff apparently didn't trust the mischievous ghost either, and when he returned to the future two days later, he told Gaoithe that the ancient professor demanded a letter from Gawain, Gaoithe or her sister.

"I'll write to her," Ceridwen said eagerly, happy to be able to tell her sister everything about her life at Hogwarts in the future.

Gaoithe chuckled when Ceridwen finished her letter after five hours of writing. "I better go and take it to your sister personally," he offered, amused. He said good night to his parents and friends and headed into his room, from where he flashed straight into the Merlin cellar and flashed downstairs to the time of the Founders, choosing Christmas day to arrive in the past.

"Gaoithe," Professor Hufflepuff said in surprise as Gaoithe entered the Great Hall, where he found the four professors eat dinner together with a few students.

'_I hope they won't be too angry at Gawain or even at Ceridwen and me_,' Gaoithe thought as he hesitantly explained the reason for his visit and handed his Head of House Ceridwen's letter.

"Tell him to come back right away," Slytherin roared, causing his wife to cast him an exasperated look.

"Thank Merlin he is in my House," she said, rolling her eyes at the Potions Master, "and knowing that he is best friends with Gaoithe and Ceridwen, I am willing to excuse him from the rest of the school year, provided that he studies together with the two of you."

Gaoithe promised to see to it and grudgingly agreed when the professor instructed him to stay overnight before travelling back. In the morning, he made his way back to the future, unaware of the fact that he would have to return to the past sooner than expected.

_tbc..._


	32. Chapter 32

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 32**

Back in the future, Gaoithe realised that it was only four o'clock in the morning and decided to take a nap, knowing that his sister would wake him up sooner or later. A few hours later, Uisce toddled into the room with her favourite plush toy in her right hand and her left thumb in her mouth. "Gee-ha up," she said in a sleepy voice, looking up at her adored big brother.

'_She's too cute_,' Gaoithe mused as he tickled and cuddled his sister, before he drifted back to sleep together with the baby.

_~ Somewhere in Britain ~_

At the same time, many miles away from Hogwarts, a snake like being was crouched in front of a fireplace in a stone room that was similar to the Hogwarts dungeon rooms.

"Lucius," the snake like creature snarled, "what are you waiting for? I need food."

"I am sorry, Master. I will instruct my house-elves to help you, sir," a male voice replied. "Do you have an idea how long this is going to take?"

"That depends on how you feed me. And find out who destroyed the diary."

"That was the Snape boy, my Master," the human voice said haughtily, and a tall man with long white hair came into view. "I don't know how he could find out."

"Oh I need to tell you..." The strange voice paused for an instant, before it groaned, "I'm too weak. Feed me."

"Right away, my Master," the human said and swiftly left the room.

風の力を持つハリー

During the following weeks, Gaoithe was very busy with school work, Quidditch, assisting the new research professor with the computer research, planning his zoo and helping his friends from the past to get used to modern life at Hogwarts. It was only at the beginning of March that he was looking forward to take Ceridwen and Gawain to Hogsmeade for the first time, since they had come from the past. However, when all students from the third year onwards were getting ready for their Hogsmeade visit on Saturday morning, Draco Malfoy knocked at the door to the Snapes' quarters.

"Professors, I urgently need to speak with you and with Gaoithe," he said, sounding very excited as he handed Severus a parchment. "I just received this letter from my father."

Severus raised an eyebrow as he skimmed the accurate handwriting, knowing that it belonged to Lucius Malfoy. '_Draco, as much as it is a shame that you are in that House, I am pleased with your grades, which your Head of House reported last week. Remember your attitude when you spend the day in Hogsmeade today, and stay away from Gaoithe Snape_,' a clear warning ended the short message. Severus looked at the parchment in disbelief, searching in vain for any further explanation.

"I have no idea why he suddenly writes about Gaoithe. He should know by now that we're friends. Is he planning to attack Gaoithe for some reason?" Draco asked, looking from Severus to Gaoithe.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Gaoithe asked in confusion.

"Thank you so much for warning us, Draco," Severus said warmly. "I am very proud of you for making the right decision."

"Dad, I promised Ceridwen and Gawain to take them to Hogsmeade," Gaoithe said in a small voice. "Since we couldn't go the last time, we really need to go today, but I promise that I'll be very careful."

"Severus, will you please accompany Gaoithe?" Minerva asked pleadingly. "I know that Frank and Sirius are chaperoning today, but I'd feel much safer if I knew that you were near Gaoithe."

"Of course," Severus said softly, before he pulled his wife into a passionate kiss. "Very well then, Gaoithe, Ceridwen, Gawain, let's go and perhaps come back a bit earlier to reassure your mother that we're back safely.

"Hermione and Neville wanted to come with us, too," Ceridwen threw in. She had become good friends with Hermione, and Gaoithe, Ceridwen and Gawain often studied together with the two Merlin students, whom they had even told their secret.

"I'll fetch them," Gaoithe offered and stepped through the connecting door into the Merlin common room.

Twenty minutes later, Severus and the five friends walked down the street to Hogsmeade. Gaoithe hesitantly laid his arm around Ceridwen's back as he noticed that the girl looked sadly at the spot, where her parents' house had been in the past. "At least nothing else is there, only field," she whispered, unobtrusively wiping a tear from her cheek.

"One thousand years is a very long time, although for us it only takes five minutes and some effort to get there," Gaoithe said in a soft voice, inwardly sighing in relief when Hermione, who for once had not noticed what was going on, attracted everyone's attention by speaking up eagerly.

"Can we go to the bookshop first?"

Everyone began to laugh, causing her to look at her friends in confusion. "Why are you laughing? Don't you want..."

"It's all right, Mione," Gaoithe chuckled. "Of course we'll go to the bookshop. I also need to go to the apothecary."

The five friends spent the whole morning in the bookshop and the apothecary, before they headed to the Three Broomsticks to have lunch together with the Weasley twins and a few other friends from Merlin House. By the time they left the pub to explore Zonko's together with the twins, Gaoithe had completely forgotten about Draco's warning. However, just when he was about to follow Fred into the shop, he spotted Lucius Malfoy a little further up the street. "Go inside quickly and don't wait for me," he urgently said to his friends and quickly turned around to hide behind the house, transforming into his phoenix form as he ran.

However, while Gawain and Neville hurried into the shop, Hermione and Ceridwen followed him, unwilling to leave him alone. Before Gaoithe even knew what happened, both girls were lying on the floor, moaning in pain. He jumped between Ceridwen and Hermione and mind thought to them, 'Try to grab my tail feathers, so that I can flash you to Hogwarts.' To his great relief, both girls were able to move in spite of the pain they seemed to be under, and an instant later, he heard Ceridwen mumble that he could flash.

Gaoithe flashed straight onto an empty bed in the hospital wing, transformed and fetched his Head of House. The Healer barely listened to his confusing explanation, but quickly transferred Hermione into the next bed, before she cast a series of diagnostic spells at both girls.

"Gaoithe, where is your father? Is he still in Hogsmeade?" she asked urgently.

Only then Gaoithe realised that Severus probably didn't even know what had happened. "Shall I fetch him?" he asked and flashed away as he saw his Head of House nod. Five minutes later, he was back with his father in tow.

"Severus, I have no idea what is wrong with them, apart from the fact that they seem to be in quite an amount of pain," Pomfrey told the Potions Master. "Could it be a dark spell that the attacker used?"

Severus looked at the girls, deep in thought. "Since it was Mr. Malfoy or one of his friends, it must have been either a dark spell or some kind of ancient spell."

Gaoithe observed his father wave his wand over Hermione again and again. '_How strange; he doesn't know any Healing spells, but he is able to recognise if someone is under a dark spell_,' he mused, when all of a sudden Ceridwen caught his attention.

"Helga," she mumbled, her face scrunched in pain.

'_Professor Hufflepuff_,' Gaoithe remembered. '_That's it. Maybe she knows what's wrong, or at least she can comfort Ceridwen better than anyone else_.' He muttered something about being back in a few minutes, before he glanced at his wrist watch in determination. '_A quarter past three_,' he thought as he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed away.

Gaoithe decided to arrive in the past in the morning of the day after Christmas, the same morning, on which he had left when he had visited the Founders the last time. No one was in the Great Hall, and Gaoithe flashed through the castle in search for his Head of House. Finally, he found her in her office, where she was cleaning her Potions shelf.

"Gaoithe," she said in surprise, smiling fondly at her student. "I can well use some help," she said, before she interrupted herself upon noticing Gaoithe's terrified expression. "Gaoithe, what happened?" she asked urgently.

"Professor, Ceridwen and another friend of mine have been attacked, and Professor Pomfrey doesn't know what's wrong, but Ceridwen is in pain and I thought she'd want you to be there for her. Can you come with me? I promise I'll take you back here whenever you want to come back, Professor," Gaoithe blurted out in panic.

"Of course, Gaoithe. Take me to Ceridwen please. What do I have to do to go there?" Ceridwen's older sister asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Just grab my tail feathers, Professor," Gaoithe said quickly, feeling very much reassured by the professor's composed attitude and grateful that she seemed to have forgotten her own rule that forbade him to return to the future on the day of his arrival without taking a nap of at least a few hours beforehand. Seeing her nod in agreement, he transformed and flashed into the Merlin cellar as soon as he felt her grab his feathers. '_It would be so much easier if I could flash in one go without having to transform back and fore in order to open the doors_,' he thought in annoyance when he changed back into his phoenix form to flash upstairs.

"Are you sure that you want to flash upstairs?" Helga asked gently, eyeing him in concern. "Your parents told me that it affords a lot of energy if you walk and even more if you flash, especially with another person."

'It's all right, Professor. I want to take you to Ceridwen as quickly as possible,' Gaoithe mind thought to the kind witch and flashed upstairs. Only when he changed back in front of the door to Merlin House did he realise that he could barely keep himself on his feet anymore. '_Nevertheless, we can't walk though the castle in Hufflepuff's ancient attire_,' he decided and thought of Ceridwen as he summoned his remaining magic and flashed. Arriving in the hospital wing, he remained on the floor and watched his two Heads of House of both times introduce themselves to each other, before Helga checked on her sister and Hermione. Knowing that his friends were in good hands with the two witches, he sighed in relief and turned his head on his back and drifted off to sleep.

By the time Gaoithe woke up, the hospital wing lay completely in the dark apart from two small torches at the wall on the opposite side of the room. As he glanced around, he realised that he wasn't on the floor anymore but found himself on his own perch, which had been placed next to Hermione's bed. Ceridwen and Hermione were both peacefully asleep, and Helga was sitting in a chair between the two beds. She looked up as she noticed that Gaoithe had woken up and was stretching his wings.

"Gaoithe, are you feeling all right?" she asked gently. "You have depleted your magic to a great extent. I am sorry; I should have insisted that you stay overnight before returning back here."

'I'm fine,' Gaoithe thought back, still feeling too tired to transform back into his human form. 'Are Ceridwen and Hermione all right?'

The Founder let out a long sigh. "They will be all right eventually. I recognised the spell. It causes the victim much pain, and as far as I know there is no remedy except for pain relieving potions. It has to wear off by itself, which might take from a few days up to a few weeks. Don't worry, Gaoithe. They're both going to be all right, and it was good that you were able to bring them here so quickly."

'It's my fault,' Gaoithe thought back, horrified. 'They were attacked because of being together with me. I didn't realise that he would attack them, if he couldn't get me because I transformed so quickly...'

"Gaoithe," Helga interrupted him sternly. "It's not your fault, and I don't want you to use any more telepathy tonight. Try to go back to sleep."

Feeling too tired to protest, Gaoithe turned his head backwards and drifted back to sleep. A few hours later, he woke up to his parents' voices.

"Albus said that he sent a few Aurors to Malfoy Manor to enquire," Minerva explained in a voice that told Gaoithe that she was very upset with the Minister of Magic. "However, he said that they could not easily demand to check his wand, since there were no witnesses at all. No one even saw that Mr. Malfoy did anything at all."

"Isn't Malfoy's letter to Draco proof enough?" Severus asked sharply.

"Apparently not," Minerva replied, sighing, before she turned to Helga. "Good morning, Helga. I'm very pleased to see you, although I wished it was under better circumstances."

Gaoithe, who had been quietly cleaning his feathers, while he listened to the adults' conversation, suddenly caught Severus' eyes and cast his father a pleading look. Nodding in understanding, the Potions Master held out his hand for the phoenix to step on, quirking an eyebrow when Gaoithe made himself comfortable on his shoulder.

"Is everything all right, Gaoithe?" he asked gently.

#Yeah. I'm just a bit tired. Did I understand it correctly that Mr. Malfoy won't be punished for what he did?# Gaoithe trilled back in an upset voice.

"I'm afraid that there is nothing that we can do about it," Severus replied gravely. Seeing that Minerva was engrossed in a conversation with the two Healers, he suggested, "Shall we go home? I'm sure that Uisce and Gawain are waiting for us."

'_Uisce is probably driving Gawain nuts_,' Gaoithe thought, smirking at the thought of the little whirlwind that was his sister. He agreed and Severus quickly informed Minerva; however, the Headmistress laid her hand on his arm and asked, "Gaoithe, would you mind remaining here for a moment? I hope that you'll be able to help Professor Hufflepuff."

#Of course,# Gaoithe readily agreed and flew down onto the floor, where he transformed back into his human form, wondering what he was supposed to be able to help.

"Gaoithe," Professor Hufflepuff began, sighing. "This does not need to be today, if you're still feeling too tired to flash, but I'd love to ask you to do me a favour."

"No problem," Gaoithe replied in surprise. "Where do you want me to flash you, Professor?"

"I walked around the corner from here, hoping to find our own quarters still there. However, the entrance or even the portrait seems to be completely gone. There is only wall, and I couldn't get access to our quarters. Therefore, I'm wondering if our quarters are not there anymore or if anyone blocked the entrance. I'd like you to flash me into my rooms if that's possible for you."

Gaoithe cast the professor a thoughtful look, before he replied, "Very well then, shall we go right away?"

Before the Founder could reply, Pomfrey stepped in front of Gaoithe and handed him a small phial. "Drink it all. It's Pepperup potion," she said in a no-nonsense voice.

Gaoithe inwardly groaned in annoyance but knew better than to protest in front of his mother and his two Heads of House. He gulped down the potion and handed back the phial, before he transformed into his phoenix form, turning his back towards Helga Hufflepuff. Instants later, he found himself in the professor's private quarters and glanced around with interest.

"This looks fairly different from my own time," she said, letting her eyes wander around the room in surprise.

"That's true," Gaoithe agreed, noticing that furniture of all different epochs had been added to the rooms. "These rooms still looks gorgeous," he said, admiring the antic looking furniture. "But where is the entrance?"

Hufflepuff stepped out into a small hall, which Gaoithe recognised as that from where he always entered his parents' quarters in the past. '_Our rooms are still here as well_,' he mused. '_I wonder if anyone changed them, too_.'

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the professor addressed the portrait of the four Founders guarding the entrance to their quarters. "What happened to the portrait?" she asked. "I couldn't find it from the other side."

"Ah, that was that stupid many times great grandson of ours," Slytherin replied in an upset voice. "He charmed us to be invisible to the world."

"Helga, I'm so glad that you found us," Ravenclaw spoke up in a gentle voice like Gaoithe remembered her from the past. "Can you please take the charm off?" She taught her friend the incantation, and a few minutes later, Gaoithe and his Head of House left the Founders' quarters through the connecting door that was once again visible in the corridor leading to the hospital wing.

"Maybe we should cast a different charm on it, so that only people who know about it will be able to see it," Gaoithe suggested, and the ancient Healer turned around, waving her wand at the portrait.

"Done," she said, grinning.

'_I'll come back here with Dad and Gawain later on_,' Gaoithe resolved and slowly walked home, while the professor returned to her sister's side after thanking him profusely. To his surprise, his parents had a visitor, whom he recognised as Nymphadora Tonks, the young Auror, who had attended Sirius' Black's trial a few months ago.

"Unfortunately, we have no proof that Mr. Malfoy was the one who cast the spell on the girls, and his wand didn't show any dark or dangerous spell. There is nothing we can do about him, even if I fully believe that it was him," Tonks explained, smiling at Gaoithe. "Gaoithe, if you or any of your friends remember something that might give him away inform me right away."

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. "I'll ask my friends," he promised, carefully tickling his sister's feet as she tried to climb onto his lap.

Unfortunately, his friends didn't know more. "I wonder what my father is planning," Draco said with a hint of foreboding in his voice. "He might make another attempt to get to you."

"It's probably because he believes that I am responsible for the destruction of the diary, if your assumption is correct that Ginny received it from him," Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. Glancing at his wrist watch, he said, "I'll go and see if Ceridwen and Hermione are awake. I feel really bad that they were injured because of being together with me." He spent the rest of the weekend and every free minute during the following week together with his two friends, gratefully accepting that Helga took turns with him according to his schedule. To his relief, both of them were able to leave the hospital wing after a week; however, Gaoithe still had a bad feeling when he thought of Draco's father.

風の力を持つハリー

"Draco, do you have a way to find out what your father is doing..."

"...and why he wants to harm Gaoithe?" the twins asked one Sunday afternoon, when Gaoithe, Uisce, Ceridwen, Hermione, Neville, Draco, Gawain and the twins were having a picnic in the herb garden on the roof.

Draco looked up in confusion. "I don't think he'll tell me much if I ask him, especially since he knows that I'm friends with Gaoithe. He might be evil, but he's not stupid," he said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe you can find out something through the house-elves?" Neville suggested, causing Gaoithe to look at his friend in appreciation. '_He changed a lot since he got to live together with his parents_,' he thought contentedly. '_He is much more self-confident and much happier than he was before_.'

"I could ask Dobby, but since he is bonded to Father and me, he probably won't be able to spy on him for me," Draco replied thoughtfully.

"You could free him if he promises to still work for you afterwards," Hermione said eagerly. "Perhaps we could pay him a Galleon each month and ask him to spy on your father for us."

Draco remained quiet for a few minutes, before he finally said, "I'm not sure if I want to miss him. It's quite convenient to have a house-elf. Apart from that, he is bonded to my father as well. Will it suffice when I give him clothes?"

Hermione cleared her throat, before she said, "I have been doing a bit of research about house-elves, and I think that it depends on the fact if he was bonded to both of you at the same time or if he was bonded to your father first." She looked questioningly at the blond boy.

"Father bought him and bonded him to both of us when I was a baby," Draco replied, glancing at Gaoithe. "Gaoithe, what do you think I should do?"

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. "Draco, I don't know. Perhaps you should ask my father just to be sure. On the other hand, you could speak with your elf and ask what he thinks," he suggested in a soft voice. '_Draco is cool_,' he thought in amazement. '_It must be horrible for him to know that his father is evil, but he is still trying to do the right thing_.'

"All right then. I'll call Dobby," Draco said in determination and called his elf.

An instant later, the small elf was bouncing in front of the group. "What cans Dobby does for Master Draco?" he queried, looking wide-eyed at the fair-haired boy when Draco explained why he had called him.

"Dobby wills be free?" Dobby squealed in apparent delight.

"Yes Dobby, but only if you promise to still work for me," Draco replied sternly.

"I could offer to pay you, Dobby, if you're still willing to work for Draco," Gaoithe threw in hesitantly.

Dobby turned around in glee. "The great Gaoithe Snape, saviour of the werewolves, is going to pays Dobby, and Dobby wills be free?" He hastily wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Dobby, will Draco's father know about this?" Gaoithe asked carefully, causing the small elf to eagerly shake his head.

"No, Gaoithe Snape, Master Malfoy wills not knows of this," Dobby promised.

"All right then," Draco said and hesitantly took off his Merlin scarf. "Here Dobby. You may wear it if you wish." He carefully draped the scarf around the elf's neck.

Dobby's eyes widened in disbelief. "Dobby is free!" he breathed, carefully letting his fingers feel the soft fabric of the scarf. "Thank yous, Draco Malfoy. Yous is too generous to Dobby."

"Ge-ha!" Uisce suddenly tried to hide between Gaoithe's legs in fright upon spotting Dobby.

'_Why is Uisce afraid of him? She's used to the Hogwarts house-elves_,' Gaoithe wondered and said, "That's Dobby, Uisce. He is an elf, and he works for Draco."

"Gaoithe Snape's sister musts not be afraids of Dobby. Dobby loves children," Dobby said in a soft voice and bowed down to Uisce, so that his large ears touched the ground.

"Dodo," Uisce shouted and cheered at the elf, who was not much taller than herself, causing everyone to smile at the cute little girl.

Dobby turned to Draco. "Does Draco Malfoy wants Dobby to goes to Malfoy Manor and looks for something?"

"I want you to find out what Father is planning and why he tried to hurt Gaoithe and his friends," Draco explained, causing the small elf to bounce on his feet in excitement and pop away.

風の力を持つハリー

'_He is strange_,' Uisce thought, feeling slightly frightened at the sight of Dobby and tried to hide behind her big brother, hoping that he would pick her up. '_Dobby is so jumpy, and he cries and laughs at the same time_.' However, when Dobby suddenly spoke to her in a soft voice, she noticed that it was too funny how his large ears slapped over the ground, and she could look straight into his face instead of merely being able to see the legs like it was with the students. She just couldn't help smiling at the kind creature and happily tried to voice his name, only to feel a bit disappointed when Dobby vanished a moment later. Fortunately, Gaoithe chose that instant to pick her up in order to give her a piggy ride down the long and narrow staircase. By the time they returned home, the small girl was already fast asleep, dreaming of smiling elves in gardens that smelled wonderfully of herbs like her Daddy.

When she woke up, looking into the smiling faces of her mother and brother, she asked hopefully, "Dodo?"

"No Uisce," Gaoithe replied softly. "Dobby needs to stay at Malfoy Manor and pretend that he was still bonded to the Malfoys. It might take a few days or even weeks, before he'll return to Draco."

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Just like Gaoithe had predicted, it took nearly two months, before Dobby returned with information. However, he was so busy with school work for his present classes and the assignments for the past that he nearly forgot about Mr. Malfoy and his possible intentions. Fortunately, not only Ceridwen and Gaoithe, but also Minerva, Severus and Professor Pomfrey had tried to convince Helga Hufflepuff to remain in the future until the summer holidays. The Healer finally agreed to stay in order to work together with Pomfrey, so that Gaoithe and his two friends from the past could ask her whenever they encountered problems with their assignments.

One day, Ceridwen returned to the Snapes' quarters after the last afternoon class, looking outright sad. '_Oh no, she looks as if she was going to cry_,' Gaoithe thought and asked gently, "Ceridwen, what's wrong? Did anything happen in class?"

"Professor Black," Ceridwen admitted in a small voice. "He assigned me detention tonight, because I disturbed his class, although I didn't mean to." She told Gaoithe how they had to transfigure a wooden cat into a plush cat. However, apparently the spell that she cast was too strong, and she happened to transfigure the cat into a real cat that jumped from her desk and ran around the whole classroom, before the professor managed to stun her. "He was very angry. Fortunately, he didn't take House points, but it's the first time that I have to serve detention," she sadly ended her explanation. "I'm still bad at wand magic, but he was so angry that I didn't dare ask if I could try the spell wandlessly."

"Black is not a good listener anyway," Severus, who had witnessed the conversation, threw in, smirking. "Maybe you should still consider telling him that you come from the past and are used to performing wandless magic."

'_Pity that I don't have classes together with Ceridwen. Sirius seems to have a grudge against the Slytherins, but she's a Hufflepuff_,' Gaoithe thought in surprise. So far, no one had ever told him that Sirius had behaved unfairly. "Ceridwen," he said thoughtfully, "Professor Black is my godfather. Do you want me to tell him where you come from and that you're not used to wand magic?"

"I believe that would be for the best," Severus agreed, nodding at his son in appreciation.

'Sirius, are you very busy, or may I disturb you for a few minutes?' Gaoithe thought to his godfather, before he remembered that Sirius had no method to reply to him. '_I'm stupid_,' he thought, feeling extremely annoyed at himself. "Well then, let's see if he has time," he said in determination and ushered Ceridwen out into the dungeon corridor to walk to his godfather's office.

"Gaoithe," Sirius cheered upon seeing his godson. "I already thought that you had completely forgotten that I'm your godfather."

Gaoithe groaned inwardly. "I'm sorry, but I've been so busy lately. Do you have a few minutes for us? My friend Ceridwen and I'd like to speak with you about something." He stepped aside, only now revealing Ceridwen, who had been standing behind him.

"Ms. Hufflepuff," Sirius said in surprise, motioning for the two students to enter his office.

Ceridwen and Gaoithe hesitantly took the offered seats, and before Sirius could ask anything, Gaoithe slowly began to explain about his time travels and about Ceridwen and Gawain, his best friends from the past.

"Your sister is one of the Founders of Hogwarts?" Sirius blurted out in disbelief.

"Yes sir," Ceridwen replied shyly.

"Anyway, Ceridwen would never willingly disturb your class, but even if they have wands in the past, they don't use them in class," Gaoithe informed the Gryffindor Head.

"I understand. In this case, you don't have to serve detention of course. However, you should try to practise wand magic," Sirius replied thoughtfully, before he asked, "Gaoithe, can you bring anyone from any time in the past?"

Gaoithe remained thoughtful for an instant, before he replied hesitantly, "Probably, I could bring people from other times, provided that they can gain access to Hogwarts; however, my parents warned me that I had to be very careful with time travels in order not to change our time too much. In fact, I haven't been anywhere else but in the Founders' time, and so far I have no intention to go anywhere else."

"Don't you want to get to know your parents?" Sirius asked, eyeing his godson in disbelief.

"My parents?" Gaoithe repeated in confusion, before he realised, "Ah, you mean my birth parents." He let out a long sigh. "If it was six years ago, I'd probably have been delighted at the thought, but now that I have a real family with real parents, whom I know and love..." He slowly trailed off, noticing from his godfather's expression that he didn't understand him. "At least not at the moment," he added. "Maybe some time in the future, I'll decide to go and visit them in order to get to know them. However, I don't think I'm going to do this in the near future. I know that they must have been wonderful people, especially my Mum, who gave her life for me; however, I wouldn't want to change our time, because I don't want to lose the only family I ever had. I'm sorry if this sounds very selfish."

"On one hand it is, Gaoithe, but I understand you. Living together with Petunia must have been a nightmare. She was already horrible when she and Lily were young," Sirius replied surprisingly gently.

風の力を持つハリー

Minerva offered to give Ceridwen and Gawain extra lessons in wand magic and taught the two students three evenings a week, while Gaoithe attended Quidditch practice. So far, Merlin House had won the Quidditch cup every year, and this year seemed not to be an exception.

The following few weeks passed uneventful until Draco came to see Gaoithe with Dobby in tow on the day before Uisce's birthday. Gaoithe motioned for both of them to take a seat, causing Dobby to look at him wide-eyed, before he blurted out, "Gaoithe Snape is so kind to Dobby. No one has ever asked Dobby to sit down." He carefully let his hand wander over the sofa in admiration, before he hesitantly sat on the edge, smiling broadly when Uisce toddled over to him in apparent delight.

"Dobby!" the little girl shouted happily, before she eagerly tried to climb onto the sofa to sit next to her elf friend.

"Hello Uisce," Dobby said, smiling back kindly.

"Dobby, do you have information for us? Should I fetch my parents as well?" Gaoithe asked, casting Ceridwen a grateful look when she unobtrusively helped Uisce up.

"I'll go," Gawain offered and hurried to fetch Minerva and Severus.

When everyone was assembled, Dobby quickly glanced around the room as if to make sure that no one else was listening in on the conversation, before he finally began to speak. "Lucius Malfoy is keepings a strange creature in his dungeons, and the house-elves are feedings it with homemade food. Dobby thinks that the creature musts be evil. It musts be a dark creature, maybe even the one whose name Dobby must not says. Dobby overheards the creature demands that Mr. Malfoy hurries, but Mr. Malfoys says that he musts waits until the summer holidays when Draco comes home. Dobby thinks that he musts warns Draco that it wills be dangerous to goes home from school, although Dobby wills be there and cans takes Draco away quickly."

"Dobby," Draco spoke up, and Gaoithe noticed that his always pale face was even whiter than normal as he queried, "what exactly did Father say when he spoke about me? What does he want me to do?"

Dobby shook his head and shrugged helplessly, causing his face to nearly vanish completely in his Merlin House scarf. '_He is probably wearing it all the time, except for when he is at the Malfoys_,' Gaoithe mused. '_I wonder how he hides it from the Malfoys though_.' "I'ms sorry, Draco Malfoy, but Dobby is not knowing that. Dobby wills goes back and tries to find out more," he promised, before he vanished with a loud popping sound.

"Dad?" Gaoithe spoke up in confusion. "Do you think it's possible that the creature Dobby was talking about is the Dark Lord? How can that be possible? All the Horcruxes were summoned into the room in the Merlin cellar, weren't they?"

Severus thoughtfully ran a hand through his hair. "Gaoithe, I have no idea. Maybe he had just taken over the Horcrux; however, the fact that even you were summoned shows that not only dark objects but even live objects were taken to the room, so that I can't think of a possible explanation."

"Maybe the creature is dark but not Voldemort," Minerva threw in, casting Severus a questioning look.

"I think that Dobby wouldn't make assumptions if he didn't know what he was talking about," Draco said quietly. "I wonder if I should return home at all."

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Due to Uisce's first birthday, Gaoithe almost forgot about Draco's problem. The house-elves had prepared a huge cake that was decorated with strawberries and held one large candle.

"You have to blow it out," Ceridwen instructed the little girl, holding her on her arm.

The whole school devoured the cake, before they hurried to their last day of classes before the summer holidays.

"Draco, what are you going to do?" Gaoithe asked his friend later in the afternoon, when he had gathered his best friends for a birthday party for Uisce in the Snapes' quarters.

"I'll just go home as I'm supposed to," Draco replied in determination. "I trust Dobby to take me away in case Father tries to harm me."

Gaoithe looked at his friend in concern; however, he knew that there was nothing he could do about it if Draco intended to return home. He could not even offer to keep an eye on him and check on him on a regular basis, because the Snapes had decided to travel to the past for the first half of Gaoithe's fourth year in the past on the first day of the holidays.

'_Thank Merlin that Mum and Uisce are coming with us this time_,' he thought, glad that he didn't have to miss the two of them during the few months in the past.

_tbc..._


	33. Chapter 33

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 33**

This time, the four Snapes climbed downstairs the huge staircase together with Helga, Ceridwen and Gawain. When they arrived in front of the correct door, Gaoithe motioned for everyone to wait, while he quickly guided Helga through the door, so that she arrived back on the day after Christmas. He flashed her into her office, before he led Gawain through Merlin House, so that he arrived in the morning of the first day of the summer holidays in order to return to his parents over the summer. He sighed in relief, when he entered Merlin House for the third time, this time together with his family and Ceridwen. Like Helga had instructed Ceridwen and Gaoithe, they arrived one week before the end of the holidays in order to have a week to take all the tests that the four Founders expected them to complete before the beginning of the school year.

At the Sorting ceremony a week later, Gaoithe noticed with surprise that Sopho sorted five students into Merlin House. '_Oh, I completely forgot about that_,' he thought, wondering if the older students would be asked if they wanted to change. '_Even if we may change Houses, I won't do that_,' he decided, not wanting to disappoint Helga, to whom he felt very close since they had got to know each other so well during her visit in the future. He was strangely relieved when no one even mentioned a possibility of changing Houses.

The few months at the time of the Founders passed relatively uneventfully, and Gaoithe really enjoyed himself, although he was slightly disappointed when Professor Gryffindor told them that they would only make their own swords during their fifth year and not during the fourth like Gawain had told him a few months ago. Too soon for Gaoithe's liking, the Christmas holidays appeared and he had to return to the future for the newer version of his fourth Hogwarts year. '_As much as I miss my friends of Merlin House, being here is so much more peaceful, and no one wants to harm my friends just because of their relationship to me_,' he thought, feeling slightly consoled that Ceridwen had decided to accompany him to the future again. '_It's cool that I'm not the only one who takes classes here and in the future, although it's a pity that Gawain isn't allowed to come but has to go home for Christmas_,' he mused, feeling strangely comforted at the thought of having Ceridwen with him.

On the last day of classes, Minerva and Severus told Ceridwen and Gaoithe that they had to return one week before the beginning of the new school year in the future, because a Triwizard Tournament was going to take place at Hogwarts.

"Although I organised everything before the end of the last school year and Professor Lupin remained at Hogwarts during the whole holidays to clear up any problems that could arise, I need to make sure that everything is all right and speak with the Headmaster and Headmistress of the two other schools in order to plan the concrete details that aren't fixed yet," Minerva informed her son and his friend, who followed her words with apparent excitement.

"This is going to be so much fun," Gaoithe said in excitement, causing Ceridwen to eagerly agree.

However, when they returned to the future a week before the beginning of the school year, Cicero and Malcolm popped up in front of them as soon as they set foot into their private quarters.

"Mistress Minerva, Master Severus, you are urgently needed in the Headmistress' office. Professor Lupin is waiting for you," Cicero informed them, sounding very urgent.

"Thank you, Cicero," Minerva replied gently, while Severus raised an eyebrow at his house-elf in silent question. "Gaoithe and Ceridwen, would you mind looking after Uisce?" she asked softly, already on her way to the connecting door to her office.

"Of course," Gaoithe replied quickly, cradling the little girl close as a bad feeling of foreboding penetrated his mind.

When Minerva and Severus stepped into the Headmistress' office, Remus Lupin was sitting behind the desk, reading the Quibbler. He looked up and immediately vacated the seat as he saw his former Head of House enter the room. "Minerva, Severus, thank Merlin you're back," he said, letting out a relieved sigh.

"What happened?" Minerva asked in surprise, noticing in concern that the ex-werewolf was extremely pale and had dark rings under his eyes.

"Voldemort was resurrected by Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco," Lupin explained quietly. It happened two weeks ago. We have all the information from Draco Malfoy. Apparently, his father ordered his house-elves to make a certain potion for Voldemort, and before Draco knew what happened, his father took a huge amount of blood and pieces of his bones from him and used it for the potion, in which he bathed Voldemort in order to resurrect him."

"Where is Draco now?" Severus asked sharply, while he rolled up his left sleeve, staring at the Dark Mark that was once again dark and alive.

"Immediately after Voldemort appeared out of the potion, Draco's elf Dobby brought him to Hogwarts," Lupin replied gently. "He spent a few days in Poppy's care in the hospital wing, because he was injured, and ever since then he has been staying in the guest room in my quarters. Poppy and I weren't sure if it was safe enough to allow him to reside in Merlin, especially since students aren't allowed to use the Houses during the summer."

"Thank you very much for taking him in, Lupin," Severus said in apparent relief. "I'm not sure if you know about this, but Draco is my godson, and I must say that I'm very proud of him, because he doesn't support his father." He reached for the Quibbler. "Did Draco speak with Lovegood?"

"Yes, I invited him to come to my quarters and meet with Draco. We thought that it was better to properly inform the magical world," Lupin explained. "The article he wrote is very accurate."

"Remus, I am sorry, for not being here and leaving you with such a problem," Minerva spoke up, clearly shocked.

"That's all right, Minerva; I was glad that Pomona, Poppy, Sirius and Xenophilius were here. We discussed everything all together." The Care of Magical Creatures professor looked questioningly at the Headmistress. "We came to the conclusion that under these circumstances it might be better to cancel the Triwizard Tournament. We wanted to wait for you to return before taking any action though."

"I agree," Minerva said immediately. "Severus?"

"I believe that it would be wiser to cancel it. Such an event would be a fantastic opportunity for the Dark Lord to attack, especially if it took place at Hogwarts," Severus replied in determination.

"I will contact Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff right away," Minerva promised, reaching for her quill.

"Over there are two copies of the Quibbler, which you can send them with your letter," her Deputy informed her, pointing to the edge of her desk. "I am sure that they'll understand."

"Thank you, Remus," Minerva replied, before she turned to Severus. "Severus, will you please inform Gaoithe and Ceridwen?"

"I'll do that," Severus promised. "Lupin, do you want me to take Draco?"

"I don't mind having him. In fact, we get along quite well, and he seems to have recovered nicely," Lupin replied in a soft voice. "Apart from his injuries, he was completely shocked about the fact that his blood was used to resurrect Voldemort; however, we often spoke about the matter, and we also spent much time playing Wizard's Chess and other games to help him overcome the shock. Neville Longbottom comes to see him every day, which helped a lot. Nevertheless, I believe that he'd love to see you and Gaoithe. He often speaks about Gaoithe and he was looking forward for him to come back from the past."

With that the two wizards left Minerva's office, each of them heading to their own quarters, while Minerva occupied herself writing two difficult letters, wondering what she could do to protect her children.

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When Severus returned home, Ceridwen and Gaoithe were just bathing Uisce, and he decided to wait until his colleague would come over together with Draco. '_It's bad enough that I have to tell Gaoithe about this anyway; he is only fourteen and shouldn't be bothered with adults' problems_,' he mused as he busied himself magically unpacking their luggage.

Draco and the Care of Magical Creatures professor knocked at the door just before Gaoithe, Ceridwen and Uisce returned to the living room. Severus motioned for everyone to take a seat and explained what he had been told in the Headmistress' office.

"He is back?" Gaoithe asked in pure disbelief, looking at his father in shock. "But how could that happen? We summoned all the Horcruxes, and it worked only too well," he said, remembering how he had ended up as a phoenix baby.

"I'd also like to know how he managed to get human," Ceridwen asked in a soft voice, while she gently tickled Uisce, who was draped over her lap.

"Draco?" Severus queried, raising an eyebrow at the boy in silent request.

Draco let out a long sigh. "I didn't understand everything," he began to explain. "However, as far as Dobby, the other house-elves and Father told me he was more like a shadow at first, and the house-elves had to take him to some place in Siberia in order to gather the needed ingredients to feed him from some kind of rare snake until he had the form of some kind of creature and could be taken back." Draco shuddered. "I don't know the details, but they spent a few months in Siberia with Father's house-elves, before they looked after him in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor."

"Ah, is that why the Dark Lord wasn't called to Hogwarts when we summoned the Horcruxes? Because he was out of the range of where the summoning charm worked?" Gaoithe blurted out, quirking an eyebrow at his father.

"That would be an explanation," Severus replied thoughtfully. "The charm would only work within the country."

"Father used a spell that involved my blood and a piece of bone," Draco continued with an expression of absolute disgust on his face that would have made Gaoithe chuckle if the situation hadn't been so sad and shocking.

"I only heard of a very dark spell a few years ago, but that would have involved the Dark Lord's father's bones," Severus mumbled, more to himself than to the others.

"Yes, that's what Professor Lovegood told me as well; however, Father and his boss or whatever you want to call that creature decided to use my bones and blood because it was the bones and blood of the most trusted follower's heir or something like that."

"I'm sorry, Draco; that must have been absolutely terrifying," Ceridwen said gently, making Gaoithe slightly feel jealous at the thought that she was talking to someone else in her soothing voice, which he liked so much. '_I'm being stupid_,' he scolded himself immediately. '_Draco is my friend, and even if Ceridwen is one of my best friends, it's not as if she was my girlfriend. Maybe I should ask her if she wants to become my girlfriend though_.' He was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that he completely missed the rest of the discussion and only looked up startled when Professor Lupin and Draco rose from their seats.

In front of the door, Lupin turned around and enquired with apparent interest, "Gaoithe, I completely forgot to ask, but did you bring any fascinating animals from the past?"

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. "No sir; I wanted to bring only one pair of new animals this time, the merisms, because they can live both on the ground and in the lake, which is important, because the zoo isn't ready yet. I need to work on it before the beginning of the school year. Anyway, the Giant Squid caught the squid's flu a few weeks ago and the whole flock of merisms was still sick with it, so that we decided to bring them the next time."

A small smile spread over the professor's face as he asked kindly, "Gaoithe, I am truly sorry not to be able to meet the merisms right away; however, would you please enlighten me what merisms are?"

Ceridwen chuckled. "They are my favourites right after the Harplay penguins," she blurted out. "They are very colourful animals and are really funny."

Gaoithe nodded. "They have the body of a cow with a giraffe throat, a parrot head, kangaroo ears, the tail of a dinosaur and feet of a penguin. I've never seen anything similar before."

"They sound very interesting," Lupin said, smiling. "Do they have any magical abilities?"

Ceridwen and Gaoithe both chuckled. "As I said, they have the body of a cow, and depending on where you touch it, you can get four different types of milk out of it, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, pumpkin milk and banana milk, and they're all absolutely delicious," Gaoithe explained, licking his lips at the memory. "Maybe I should go back to the middle of the summer holidays when they're all recovered and bring them here as soon as the zoo is ready," he thought aloud.

A smile spread over Uisce's face as she demanded, "I wan miwk!"

"All right, Uisce; it's time to head to the Great Hall for dinner anyway," Severus said, smiling at his daughter, who immediately slung her small arms around Ceridwen's neck in order to be carried.

To Gaoithe's surprise, the complete Hogwarts staff was already back in the castle, even the teachers who normally used to return on the first of September. '_It's probably because of the Dark Lord_,' he mused, unconsciously knowing that he would have to battle the evil wizard sooner or later.

"Severus, are you going to spy again?" Alice Longbottom asked in concern, causing Gaoithe to look up in shock.

"No, I don't want him to spy," Minerva said in determination.

"Wouldn't it be safer to make You-Know-Who believe that Severus was on his side?" Professor Flitwick threw in, before he pointed his wand at a strawberry and made it fly right in front of Uisce's mouth.

"Considering that he knows who my son is, he'd merely give me the honour of making me the first victim after his resurrection," Severus replied dryly, gently prying Uisce's hands away from his glass of butterbeer.

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During the few days until the beginning of school, Gaoithe set up the zoo like he had already planned it in detail months ago. Professors Lupin and Lovegood, Hagrid as well as Ceridwen, Neville and Draco helped him, so that they could officially open the zoo in the morning of the first of September. The adults had decided to make the zoo accessible for the public on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, while at all other times only the students were allowed to roam the zoo. They moved Professor Lupin's classroom inside the zoo, and the five Heads of House promised to put up timetables for volunteers to help Hagrid in their Houses.

"I hope that enough students will be willing to help Hagrid; otherwise, I'll have to do that every day," Gaoithe said, when they were enjoying their last quiet lunch in their quarters before the arrival of the students.

Ceridwen chuckled. "First of all, I'll help you in any case, and secondly can you imagine curious people like Hermione or some of the Ravenclaws not to help? On the contrary, they'll want to assist Hagrid every now and then and they're going to bombard him with questions, which he might not even be able to answer."

Everyone looked at the girl in amusement, knowing that she was probably right.

"Geeha, I pway wif de Hapays?" Uisce suddenly asked, trying feverishly to get out of her child's seat.

"Shall I take her to the lake?" Gaoithe asked his parents. "She absolutely loves the Harplay penguins. On the other hand, I intended to make a quick trip to the past and fetch the merisms."

"Gaoithe, it would be nice if Ceridwen and you could look after Uisce this afternoon, because we're going to have one last staff meeting together with a couple of Aurors in order to discuss the safety precautions for the school year," Minerva said in a soft voice.

"Ah all right," Gaoithe agreed, resolving to head to the past after the Welcoming Feast. '_I can as well sleep in the past and return in the morning_,' he thought, deciding to ask his parents later on. However, to his surprise, Minerva forbade him to travel.

"Why not?" Gaoithe asked in a slightly upset voice. "I really want to fetch the merisms for the zoo."

"Because the travel is very strenuous, and classes are going to commence in the morning," Minerva said sternly. "Knowing you, you won't even take a break and stay in the past for a day..."

"I promise that I'll stay at least overnight," Gaoithe said, rolling his eyes when his mother remained firm.

"Gaoithe, we're only concerned," Severus said in his soft baritone voice, causing Gaoithe to sigh, before he nodded and left the room, feeling extremely disappointed.

During the Welcoming Feast, Gaoithe was in a very bad mood, until he finally made a decision. '_I'll just go and come back a few minutes later, or I could try to come back a little earlier. I can hide somewhere in the Merlin dungeons_,' he resolved and telepathically informed Ceridwen, knowing that she would somehow cover up for him if necessary. When he entered Merlin House after the Feast, he was so deep in thoughts that he did not notice that someone followed him into the cellar. Only when he stopped in front of the door to the staircase, a stern voice asked, "Where are you going?"

Gaoithe turned around in shock, before he sighed in relief as he saw Hermione standing behind him. "Don't give me such a fright," he complained half-heartedly. "I thought it was Pomfrey or my mother."

Hermione cast him a sharp look. "Where are you going?" she repeated her earlier question. "And why are you in such a bad mood tonight?"

Gaoithe let out a long sigh and explained about his intention to travel to the past in spite of his parents' explicit orders.

"Don't let them catch you," Hermione said, frowning. "You'll be in so much trouble."

"Yes mother," Gaoithe replied, rolling his eyes in annoyance, when Hermione suddenly began to smirk.

"Let's go then," she said eagerly. "I'm going to accompany you."

"Are you sure?" Gaoithe queried, eyeing the girl in surprise. '_And I thought she'd try to make me see reason,_' he thought, wondering if he'd ever be able to understand how easily girls were able to change their mood.

Together, the two fourth years headed down the long staircase, talking about Voldemort's resurrection, the Hogwarts zoo and Hogwarts at the time of the Founders. "Maybe we should speak with the professors about the matter. As far as I know, Professor Ravenclaw is a Seer, although I'm not sure how much she knows. She certainly couldn't see that the Dark Lord came back," Gaoithe said thoughtfully.

"Let's ask her. I'd love to get to know the other Founders. I hope they're all as nice as Professor Hufflepuff," Hermione agreed eagerly and followed Gaoithe through the empty Merlin House.

"Um... No, not all," Gaoithe replied, chuckling. '_Where should we go?_' he wondered, but decided to go and see his Head of House first to tell her that he was back, remembering that she had instructed him to inform her whenever he came. He reassured her that Ceridwen was well and told her about the bad news from the future.

The professor greeted Hermione warmly and suggested to the time travellers to accompany her to the Headmaster's office to speak with her friends. Unfortunately, none of them had a spontaneous idea how to help Gaoithe; however, Professors Gryffindor and Slytherin offered for Gaoithe and Hermione to remain in the past for at least a week and take some extra Defence lessons with them.

Hermione and Gaoithe agreed and spent a whole week in the past, glad that Gaoithe had chosen to arrive during the summer holidays, when the professors had much time to teach them. Apart from practising Defence spells and other useful charms, the two friends frequently visited the library that had always been Hermione's favourite spot at Hogwarts.

It was on the day before Hermione and Gaoithe intended to return to the future that they headed out to the grounds together with Helga in order to fetch a pair of merisms. "What are these?" Gaoithe asked in surprise, pointing to a sheep that looked golden, even if it was a cloudy day without sunshine.

"These are sheep with golden fleece," Helga explained gently. "Their fleece is used to make a special spell repelling cloak, which is effective against minor and some major hexes, but not against the unforgivables."

"I've never seen this before," Gaoithe said, looking at the rare animal in awe.

The professor nodded in understanding. "You won't be able to see them during the school year, because they're banned. They're only allowed onto the grounds during the summer holidays. Otherwise, students might try to shear one of them, because they don't know that they can only be shorn with special shears made of ivory." She pointed to a small, pink bunny that was bouncing around. "Just like the fluffy pink cuddly killer bunny over there. They look so harmless that you want to cuddle them. Unfortunately, it will be the last thing you ever do, since their bite is deadly."

'_Maybe I should take two of each with me_,' Gaoithe mused, just when Helga offered, "I can put a safety charm on two of them, so that you can take them with you if you want."

Gaoithe agreed, and when Hermione and he travelled back to the future in the morning, they were accompanied by two merisms, two golden sheep and a pair of the dangerous bunnies. The Founders had been so kind and charmed the animals to follow them during the next hour, so that they didn't have to carry them and could easily lead them out onto the grounds.

"I think I know what I'm going to do," Gaoithe blurted out half-way up the staircase, causing Hermione to cast him a surprised look.

However, Gaoithe did not further explain but concentrated on the timing, so that they arrived in the future when everyone was still assembled in the Great Hall.

"We have to be careful that we don't meet anyone," Hermione said worriedly.

"No problem; why don't you just stay in the common room?" Gaoithe suggested. "I'll go and take the animals to the grounds."

"Oh right," Hermione said, slapping her hand against her head as she turned around. "I completely forgot about them. Of course I'll accompany you."

The two students led the merisms to the lake, where the colourful animals happily jumped into the water. Afterwards, they took the pink bunnies to the zoo and informed Hagrid about them. "They are charmed, so that they can't harm anyone; however, if they have young, someone has to charm the babies; otherwise, it will be too dangerous to keep them here," Gaoithe told the caretaker of the zoo.

"Don' worry, Gaoithe. I'll tak wi Perfessor Lupin abou em," Hagrid promised, gently cuddling the two cute bunnies.

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe returned home through the griffin door from the Merlin common room, Ceridwen was playing with Uisce, and his parents were sitting at the table deeply engrossed in a pile of parchments. They both looked up and glared at their son, before Severus motioned for Gaoithe to take a seat at the table.

"Gaoithe, where have you been?" Minerva was the first to speak up in a stern voice.

'_Why do they ask? Did I somehow mess up with time?_' Gaoithe wondered, returning a confused look.

"I know that you attended the Welcoming Feast," his mother continued sternly, "but where did you go afterwards?"

"Merlin House," Gaoithe supplied tentatively, causing his parents to exchange a look that Gaoithe could not comprehend.

Severus let out a sigh. "During the Welcoming Feast, my watch began to act up as if it couldn't decide if you were in the Great Hall, in Merlin House or on the grounds. It lasted for about an hour, before it clearly showed that you were on the grounds," he explained calmly, raising an eyebrow at his son in silent query.

'_Oh no, I didn't think about Dad's watch at all_,' Gaoithe thought, terrified. '_I can't lie to them, but I'll be in so much trouble_.' "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I went to the past to fetch the merisms. I stayed for a week, and the Founders taught me Defence in order to be able to defend myself against the Dark Lord," he added in a small voice.

"Gaoithe," Minerva said in an upset voice, "which part of 'No, you must not go to the past' did you not understand?"

"I'm sorry," Gaoithe muttered, averting his eyes to the floor.

"Gaoithe, you need to obey," Severus said sharply. "I do not tolerate that you act clearly against our instructions."

"Yes Dad," Gaoithe said miserably. "I'm sorry."

"I hope that you're sorry," Severus said in a slightly gentler voice. "However, you will understand that we have to punish you. You will be grounded until Christmas, which includes that you're banned from all Hogsmeade visits during that time."

"Yes sir," Gaoithe replied in a barely audible voice.

風の力を持つハリー

The following weeks passed fairly uneventfully. Gaoithe did not really mind being grounded. He had spent the evenings at home ever since Uisce was born anyway, and since Ceridwen was there, who was again staying in what already had become her own room in the Snapes' quarters, he didn't even mind that his friends were not allowed to visit, especially as he saw them in class every day. '_At least they didn't ban me from Quidditch_,' Gaoithe often thought when he attended practice, feeling very grateful towards his parents.

One evening, Ceridwen were doing their homework in the living room, Severus was grading parchments, and Minerva was writing a letter to the Minister of Magic. 'I _love having Ceridwen here_,' Gaoithe mused, feeling very happy and also grateful towards his parents, who had grounded him but otherwise forgiven quickly how disobedient he had been.

All of a sudden, Severus let out a moan, gripping his left arm in agony.

"Is it the Dark Mark?" Minerva asked sharply, looking up from her parchment.

"Yes," Severus replied between clenched teeth. "It's all right. I'm going to live with the pain."

Gaoithe laid his quill down, looking at his father in shock. '_Dad never shows even the slightest sign of pain, even if he's really feeling unwell. The Mark must hurt terribly,' _he thought, before he stood up from the sofa in determination._ 'I'm going to finish this right away_,' he decided and transformed into his phoenix form.

"Gaoithe, where do you think you're going?" Minerva asked strictly. "You're grounded, and this is not the time to fight about this."

#I'm going to finish off the Dark Lord,# Gaoithe announced and flashed away.

"Oh no," Severus groaned and rose from his armchair, still gripping his arm. "I'm going to reply to the summoning. I can't leave Gaoithe at that place all on his own."

"No Severus..." Minerva tried to object; however, Severus already stepped through the door of their quarters, summoning his old Death Eater robe and mask as he strode through the dungeons towards the apparition border.

'Gaoithe, wait for me. Don't do anything without discussing it with me in advance,' he mind thought to his son, afraid that Gaoithe would act too spontaneously and end up injured or worse.

Knowing that it would be too dangerous to flash himself straight next to the Dark Lord, Gaoithe thought of arriving at a deserted spot near the Dark Lord's location. He appeared behind a row of trees at the end of a huge garden that surrounded an enormous building. '_Probably Malfoy Manor_,' Gaoithe thought grimly and was just about to transform into his mosly form, when he heard his father's communication.

'Dad, don't come here. It's too dangerous,' he thought back, panicking at the thought of what could happen to his father. '_And that would be all my fault_,' he thought, horrified. He changed and flashed himself to arrive just behind the Dark Lord, knowing that the mosly was small and dark enough to not attract attention. He found himself in a huge dungeon room. On one end of the room was a throne that a strange creature was occupying. '_The Dark Lord_,' Gaoithe realised, eyeing the red eyed creature with disgust. On the other side of the room, dozens of dark, hooded figures were assembled and more were still apparating in.

'_Where is Dad? I hope that he didn't come_,' Gaoithe thought, letting his eyes wander around the assembled crowd.

"My faithful servants," the Dark Lord addressed his followers. "I am pleased to see most of you again. Malfoy, come here."

One of the hooded figures stepped forward and bowed. "Here I am, my Lord."

"Malfoy, today is your great day. You will receive an honour that only my most faithful servant deservesss," Voldemort said and turned to the group of Death Eaters. "Severus Snape, come here."

A tall figure stepped forward and slightly bowed his head. '_Dad_,' Gaoithe thought, terrified. He hurriedly transformed into a fluffy pink cuddly killer bunny and made his way around the Dark Lord.

"Severus, why are you here? Are you spying for your son, Harry Potter?" Voldemort hissed.

"No, my Lord. I merely adopted Potter in order to keep a close eye on him and to serve you," Severus replied in his soft, baritone voice.

"Ah, slippery as an eel as ever, Severus," the Dark Lord replied and turned back to Malfoy. "Lucius..."

He interrupted himself, when the group of his Death Eaters suddenly began to chuckle at the sight of the pink rabbit. "What the hell is that?" he asked in clear displeasure.

'Don't worry, Dad. I know what I'm doing,' Gaoithe telepathically informed his father, who was still standing in front of the Dark Lord.

'Whatever is going to happen, Gaoithe, know that I love you very much,' Severus thought back, causing a smile to appear on the small rabbit's face.

'May I cuddle you? I'm a cuddly rabbit, and I love you,' Gaoithe mind thought to the Dark Lord as he approached him, causing the evil wizard to let out an angry hiss.

"Malfoy! What's wrong with your offspring's blood that made me into someone a rabbit chooses to cuddle?" he shouted, causing everyone to inefficiently try to suppress their chuckles.

"I am sorry, my Lord," Lucius Malfoy replied in confusion, training his wand at the rabbit.

Not wanting to risk his father's life, Gaoithe jumped onto the Dark Lord's lap, leaned into the black robes and bit the murderer of his biological parents in the stomach. Before anyone realised that their Lord was about to draw his last breath, he transformed into his phoenix form and flew over the ugly creature and finally around the huge dungeon room at full speed, summoning his magic to cause a huge wind. The thick walls of the dungeon and the ceiling began to crack, and the whole house shook in the storm, causing everyone's attention to be drawn to the tornado that was threatening to bury them all under the ruins of Malfoy Manor. Using the commotion of the Death Eaters fleeing outside, Gaoithe unobtrusively hovered in front of Severus, so that his father could grab his tail feathers, allowing his son to flash them away. Instants later, Gaoithe and Severus arrived home safely.

"Gaoithe, Severus," Minerva said in apparent relief. "Thank Merlin you're back. We were so worried."

"That was impressive," Severus replied, nodding at the phoenix in appreciation. "The Dark Lord was defeated by a cuddly rabbit and destroyed by a tornado. Well done, Gaoithe."

#Dad, may I sit on your shoulder?# Gaoithe asked in a small voice, feeling absolutely exhausted due to the large amount of magic that he had used.

Severus gently held his hand in front of the phoenix' feet and lifted him onto his shoulder. "Sleep for a while. You certainly depleted your magic with that performance." While Gaoithe drifted off to a much needed nap, he placed the memory of the event into a Pensieve and showed it to his wife and Ceridwen, before Minerva gathered the Hogwarts staff together with the Minister of Magic in her office and shared the good news.

_tbc..._


	34. Chapter 34

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 34**

In the morning, each student received a copy of a special edition of the Quibbler, and the school owls swarmed out to distribute copies all over the magical world. The Headline said, '_Lord of the Wind defeats the Dark Lord AKA Voldemort_'.

"The Lord of the Wind?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "Who might that be? Gaoithe, do you by chance have anything to do with the matter?"

"No, um... Why would I?" Gaoithe lied, trying to suppress a yawn.

"Because you're the only person I know that would be able to transform into several animals, who knows about the cuddy killer rabbits and who is a wind phoenix," Hermione said, rolling her eyes at the boy.

'Don't tell anyone. I'm surprised that my name doesn't show up at all,' Gaoithe replied silently, before he thought to his father, 'Thank you for asking Professor Lovegood to not mention my name.'

'You have to thank him, not me, Gaoithe,' Severus replied, and Gaoithe could see him smirk at the head table.

'_I'll do that_,' Gaoithe thought; '_I have an appointment with him after lunch anyway_.'

He was brought back to reality when Minerva rose from her chair and announced, "As you have all seen in the special edition of the Quibbler this morning, Voldemort is dead and the war between him and the light side is finally over. I am sure that many of you want to know who defeated him, but the person told me this morning that he wants to remain unknown. However, I wish to inform you that it was one of our midst, a Hogwarts student, who was able to vanquish him. I am very proud of the student as well as of his friends, who shared information and advice with him that enabled him to act like he did. I believe that this is enough of a reason to give all of you some extra holidays. All classes for today and tomorrow are cancelled, and everyone above third year is free to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow."

A huge applause ended the Headmistress' speech, and Gaoithe sighed in relief at the unexpected free days. '_Thank Merlin; I need some more sleep_,' he thought as he walked home after breakfast together with Ceridwen, Uisce toddling between them. However, they had not yet reached the dungeons, when Severus caught up with them.

"Gaoithe, the Minister wants to speak with you at ten o'clock in your mother's office," he informed him matter-of-factly, causing Gaoithe to let out a groan.

"What does Dumbledore want?" he asked grumpily. "I'm tired, and I just want to be left in peace."

Severus raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on his son's outburst, knowing that the boy was still tired from using enough magic to destroy huge parts of a large manor.

"Oh my, you're in a bad mood today," Ceridwen said softly. "Do you want to sleep until your meeting with the Minister, or shall we go to the forest? I know what we can do to lighten your mood."

Gaoithe looked at his best friend in exasperation. "Sorry, Ceridwen, but can we go later on?" he asked apologetically, unable to suppress a huge yawn.

"Of course, Gaoithe. I'll wake you up in time for your meeting," Ceridwen said in understanding and smiled at the boy, knowing that he would probably like the idea that she was going to share with him later on.

An hour later, Gaoithe entered the Headmistress' office, where Minerva was engrossed in a conversation with Minister Dumbledore.

"Gaoithe," Dumbledore greeted him, pulling a small bag with lemon drops out of his robe pocket.

'_He didn't change at all_,' Gaoithe thought in exasperation as he politely declined the offered sweet.

"Congratulation my boy," the Minister said gently. "As I have heard from your parents, you did a wonderful job last night, and the magical world owes you a huge thank you."

"No one owns me anything," Gaoithe replied in a still slightly grumpy voice. "I only did that for my father, because he was in a huge amount of pain when the Dark Lord called him last night."

"Gaoithe, watch your tone please. You're speaking with the Minister of Magic," Minerva reprimanded him lightly.

"I'm sorry, sir," Gaoithe apologized, hoping that the meeting would be over soon.

"It's all right, Gaoithe," Dumbledore replied kindly. "By the way, I'd like to award you the Order of Merlin first class for..."

"No sir," Gaoithe interrupted the Minister, not caring if he was being rude. "I already received the Order of Merlin once, and I certainly don't want anyone to know that it was me who vanquished that ugly creature. First of all I hate attention, but more importantly I don't want to endanger my family. Many Death Eaters have been able to escape last night, and I think it would be better if they didn't know who the pink rabbit was. I'm very grateful that Professor Lovegood didn't mention my name in the Quibbler, and I'd appreciate if you kept my secret as well."

"I understand, Gaoithe," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "However, please remember that the Order of Merlin first class includes an award of one million Galleons."

"I don't need money," Gaoithe replied softly, before he considered the matter and asked, "Would it be possible that you donate the money instead? There must be more than enough people in the magical world who need money."

The Minister let out a long sigh. "I am truly sorry, Gaoithe, but that won't be possible. I'm only able to access the money in combination with the award of the Order of Merlin." He remained thoughtful for an instant. "Well, Gaoithe, I'll see what I can do. If I managed to donate the money, for what purpose would you like it to be used?"

"First of all, I'd like to give a certain amount to Draco Malfoy," Gaoithe said in a quiet voice. "I'm not sure if his father survived the night, but I know definitely that he was still there when I left with my father. I don't know to which extent I destroyed Malfoy Manor, but in case Mr. Malfoy was gone, I'm sure that Draco would want to rebuild it. I also don't know if any other Death Eaters died last night. If so I'd like to give some money to their families." He shrugged. "Sorry, I... Everything happened so fast, and I didn't have the opportunity to speak with my parents about the matter."

"That's all right, Gaoithe," Dumbledore said gently. "Last night, your parents called me and showed me the memory of the events. Afterwards, I sent a group of Aurors to Malfoy Manor. The building is damaged to a great extent, but not completely. As to Draco's father, the Aurors found him together with fifteen other Death Eaters, who were badly injured but still alive. All of them have been brought to a safe division of St. Mungo's, where they will be treated until they are recovered enough to be taken to Azkaban."

"What about Draco's mother?" Gaoithe asked in concern.

"Mrs. Malfoy is safe and sound. She resides in the unharmed wing of the Manor," Dumbledore explained. "Gaoithe, you don't have to feel bad about this. You did exactly the right thing. Very well then, I will see to it that the Ministry will donate an amount of money for the rebuilding of Malfoy Manor. Are you sure that you don't want to receive the Order of Merlin, Gaoithe? You don't have to decide this now. Think about the matter, speak with your parents about it and inform me after making a final decision, let's say within a week."

"Thank you, sir, but no; I do not want anyone to know that I was involved in the event," Gaoithe said in determination, casting his mother a questioning look.

"Albus, I believe that Gaoithe knows what he is talking about. Please accept his decision," Minerva said firmly, smiling proudly at her son.

A few minutes later, Dumbledore left Hogwarts through the fireplace, and Minerva rose from her chair pulling Gaoithe into a hug. "I'm very proud of you, son."

"Thank you, Mum," Gaoithe replied, smiling. "Do you think I did that right?"

"Gaoithe, it was your decision, and I believe that your decision was very unique, because I think the only other person, who would make the same decision, is your father," Minerva replied warmly, pulling Gaoithe with her through the connecting door into the living room, where she motioned for the boy to tell his father and Ceridwen about his meeting with the Minister.

"There's not much to tell," Gaoithe said quietly. "He wanted to award me another Order of Merlin and I declined. Nothing special."

While Severus looked at his son in clear amusement, Ceridwen began to chuckle. "That's a typical Gaoithe decision, but I love it. It's your style, and you're right. You don't need any more proof of how brilliant you are."

"I'm not brilliant. I was merely lucky," Gaoithe replied, noticing horrified that he blushed at the unexpected praise. "But it's true. I don't need any awards. The only thing I need is my family and friends, and I'm really happy." He stepped over to where Uisce was trying to bite the corner off of one of her books and gently pried the book out of the small hands. "No Uisce, I don't think that's going to taste well. Do you want me to read the book to you?"

"Yes, Geeha wead," Uisce happily agreed and snuggled into her brother's lap when he took a seat next to his mother on the sofa.

Gaoithe and Ceridwen spent a while playing with Uisce, before Gaoithe remembered that Ceridwen had told him something about an idea. "You wanted to go into the Forbidden Forest?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the girl in expectation.

Ceridwen returned an excited look. "Gaoithe, did you never wonder why there aren't any unicorns at Hogwarts in this time?" she asked. "Remember how we loved taking Moonlight and Shadow for a ride."

"That's true," Gaoithe admitted slowly, while his thoughts went haywire. "Mum, Dad, do you have an idea why that might be?" he asked his parents.

"No, but perhaps you could ask the animals in the tapestry in Merlin House," Severus suggested, causing Gaoithe to groan in annoyance.

"Oh well, I could have thought about that," he said, sighing. "Ceridwen, will you come with me to speak with the unicorn in the tapestry? She is a nice old woman."

"But everyone will be in the common room today, and I'm not even a Merlin student," Ceridwen replied hesitantly.

"Oh all right then, let's do it tomorrow morning, when my housemates go to Hogsmeade," Gaoithe agreed, still wondering why he had never thought about the fact that the unicorn riding classes of the past were gone in the future.

In the morning after most of the older students had left for Hogsmeade, Ceridwen and Gaoithe entered the common room through the connecting door and stepped in front of the tapestry. "I need to change into a unicorn," Gaoithe whispered to his friend, before he transformed and addressed the unicorn in the tapestry.

=Hello there, may I disturb you for a moment?= he asked in a soft voice and explained what he would like to know.

The unicorn slapped her tail against Marlin, who was flashing around wildly, before she replied thoughtfully, =Well, I could tell you what happened, but it might be more reasonable if you asked Anthony, the merism, if he is willing to introduce you to his secret room. Maybe it will come handy at a later time.=

'_The merism_?' Gaoithe wondered, skimming the tapestry. Only now he realised that there was one of the funny creatures that was playing in the shallow water of the lake together with a harplay penguin.

He transformed back into his human form and quickly informed Ceridwen, before he changed into a merism, knowing from his transformation in the past that it didn't feel as strange as it looked to him when he saw one of the colourful animals.

=Hello Anthony, may I disturb you?= he asked politely; however, the merism completely ignored him as he continued to play with the harplay penguin. '_All of these animals are a bit strange_,' he mused, feeling slightly annoyed at the thought of having to persuade the merism to let him in into his secret. '_It would have been so much easier if the unicorn had just told me what she knows_,' he thought, letting out a long sigh.

Gaoithe finally transformed back into his phoenix form and addressed Marlin, knowing that the phoenix was always very helpful, even if he was as mischievous as Fawkes, who still showed up in the Snapes' quarters to cuddle with Yuki once a day, even if he was now residing in the Minister's office of the Ministry of Magic.

#Ah Gaoithe, wait a moment; I'll speak with him. Anthony doesn't hear well,# Marlin replied, and Gaoithe once again changed into a merism.

An instant later, the merism of the tapestry came to the foreground and greeted him. =Hello there, I am Anthony. You wanted to speak with me?=

=Hi, I am Gaoithe. The unicorn recommended that I should speak with you and ask you if you'd be willing to share your secret room with me,= Gaoithe replied, looking at the other animal in surprise, when Anthony began to chuckle.

=Well, if the unicorn sent you, I'll just have to help you,= he said, smiling. =Go down into the cellar and turn right. Near the grand staircase, you find a room that is called Room of History. The door will open if you tell it that Anthony, the merism, sent you. However, I believe that I have to warn you. The Room of History is a very dangerous room, and you have to be careful what you want to see and consider well if you really want to see certain events. Have fun.= With that the merism returned to its spot at the lake and continued to play with the harplay penguin.

Gaoithe changed back into his human form and told Ceridwen about the merism's warning, causing the girl to frown. "What do you think he means? Shall we really go and try to find out something?" she asked, looking questioningly at Gaoithe.

Gaoithe felt torn between curiosity and anxiousness, especially knowing that they weren't able to ask any of the adults, since no one else knew about the secret room. "Well, whatever happens, I can transform and flash us away," he replied, trying to sound more self-confident than he was.

Together the two fourth years descended to the cellar, gratefully appreciating that Marlin opened the door for them. The new room was right in front of the staircase; however, when they entered the room, it was nearly empty, only equipped with a huge screen that covered the entire wall opposite of the door.

"How is this supposed to work?" Gaoithe mused aloud, searching the other walls for some kind of buttons or other devices. However, the other walls were completely blank, except for a strange pattern of small lines that were decorating the left hand wall.

Ceridwen shook her head in confusion. "No idea. What is this?"

"It looks like a screen to watch things like Muggle films, but what do these lines mean?" Gaoithe replied and addressed the screen. "Hello, can you tell me what I'm supposed to do with you?"

"Ask me about a person, a place or an event in the past," a baritone voice came from the screen, causing the two students to look up in surprise. "Select the year on the wall to your left, provided that you have a choice," the voice sneered.

'_How should we be able to select a year?_' Gaoithe thought, bewildered. '_There is nothing but small, black lines_.'

"We'd like to know why there aren't any more unicorn riding classes at Hogwarts," Ceridwen was the first to find words.

With that the screen switched on; however, it merely lightened up, and certain places on the wall to the left became bright as well; however, not the entire wall.

"I think the light and the shadows display the time," Ceridwen said thoughtfully. "Look; apparently we have the choice among two different epochs; however, I'm not sure..."

"Here," Gaoithe interrupted her with excitement. "These lines must be the year, and there you have the month and day. So this means, we have the choice from March 1335 and the seventeenth of July 1683."

"March 1335 please," Ceridwen chose, and the two friends observed the screen in anticipation.

All of a sudden, the white screen came to life, and Ceridwen and Gaoithe observed in shock how a whole blessing of unicorns was lying on the grounds, which they recognised as the area, where the unicorn riding lessons had taken place in the past. Although they could only see the scenes but couldn't hear any sound, it was apparent that the animals seemed to be moaning in pain.

"Unicorns never lie down," Ceridwen whispered, terrified, just when they saw two wizards approach the animals.

The two wizards quietly conferred and seemed to agree on something, before one of them successively waved his wand over the unicorns that remained unmoving on the ground. With that the scene ended, and the screen turned white again.

"They must have been sick with an incurable disease," Ceridwen said, looking sadly at Gaoithe.

"The merism was right," Gaoithe replied thoughtfully. "It might be interesting to watch scenes of the past, but it might as well be very sad. Do you still want to watch the next scene?"

"No," Ceridwen said unsurely, and Gaoithe noticed that she was slightly shivering.

He took off his robes and carefully laid them around the girl's shoulders. "It's cold here," he said in a soft voice. "All right then, let's go back home. We can still discuss the matter with my parents. Since they both know the unicorn riding classes, they'll surely be willing to re-invent them if there's a possibility."

Together they quickly left the Merlin cellar that seemed dark and cold on that otherwise beautiful autumn day. However, when they returned to their quarters, their mood quickly lightened upon seeing Uisce run over to them and greet them happily.

"Cedi Geeha pway," Uisce shouted with an expression of absolute delight on her face, showing them her box with the huge floor puzzle of Hogwarts, which she loved to do with much help from Gaoithe or Ceridwen.

風の力を持つハリー

To Gaoithe's and Ceridwen's surprise, neither Minerva nor Severus liked their idea with the unicorn riding classes. Severus let out a long and thoughtful sigh, before he explained, "Eventually, we are planning to have computer classes at Hogwarts, maybe not from the next school year onwards, but from the following year, provided that Professor Longbottom and Gaoithe set up computers and manage to connect them by then." He glanced at Gaoithe, smirking as he continued, "Apart from that, we are considering teaching Latin from fifth year onwards; however, we can't make the students attend many more classes; otherwise, no one will have time to do their assignments and to properly study for their exams."

"Latin?" Gaoithe asked curiously.

"Most of our spells and charms are in Latin," Minerva explained gently. "Did you not know that they have Latin classes in the past from fifth year onwards?"

Ceridwen and Gaoithe exchanged a surprised look. "No, we didn't know that," Ceridwen admitted.

"Therefore, I believe that it would be too much to add more classes, at least for the time being," Severus said thoughtfully.

"It's all right then. We understand. It was just an idea," Gaoithe said softly, thinking to Ceridwen, 'We're really lucky to be able to attend classes in two different times, aren't we?'

Ceridwen returned his smile and efficiently changed the topic by asking what everyone planned to give Uisce for Christmas.

風の力を持つハリー

It was near the end of Goaithe's and Ceridwen's fourth Hogwarts year in the future that Minerva returned from her office one evening with an extremely concerned expression on her face.

"Minerva, what's wrong?" Severus asked immediately, causing Gaoithe and Ceridwen to look up from their homework.

Minerva let out a long sigh. "Minister Dumbledore just visited me. In fact, I spent the last thirty minutes in a conversation with him. Earlier this evening, there was a mass outbreak from the Safety Ward of St. Mungo's. Apparently, Lucius Malfoy as well as a dozen other Death Eaters fled through an unsupervised and unlocked back door.

"They probably had a spy in the hospital," Severus said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Thank Merlin that they don't know who actually got rid of the Dark Lord. Otherwise, Gaoithe and even Uisce would be in grave danger," he said thoughtfully.

"Don't you think they'll have their spies in Slytherin or even in other Houses?" Gaoithe asked in concern. "We should keep an eye on Uisce."

The little girl was so fast on her small legs that she often hurried ahead to make conversation with her favourite people in the portraits and paintings all over the castle. She quickly happened to be out of sight, and whoever was with her had to ask someone in the paintings to search for her.

"Maybe we should keep her close to us at all times," Minerva agreed, nodding at her son.

"Still I don't think that anyone but the teachers know that it was Gaoithe," Severus said pensively. "Gaoithe, do you remember whom exactly you told about it?"

Gaoithe scrunched his face in thought. "Ceridwen of course and Hermione and Neville, that's all," he replied in a small voice. "Oh and the Weasley twins, but they know that they can't tell anyone else."

"Well, so much about considering to hold the postponed Triwizard Tournament during the next school year," Severus said dryly. "It might be just what Malfoy is waiting for. We should also warn the students that the worst Death Eaters are back."

"Very well then, I'll go and inform Professor Lovegood," Minerva spoke up. "He should put this information into the Quibbler Weekly and print it as soon as possible.

The Quibbler Weekly was a special edition of the normal Quibbler, which Professor Lovegood used to distribute solely to the Hogwarts staff and students for free.

"Shall I go and inform Draco?" Gaoithe offered and, seeing his father look at him in appreciation, made his way through the connecting door into Merlin House.

"Gaoithe, how nice of you to visit us..."

"... We were just planning a prank to play on the teachers," the twins told him, mischievous smiles playing on their lips.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood for pranks today," Gaoithe replied quietly, causing the room to quieten at the subdued sound of his voice.

"Gaoithe, what's wrong?" Hermione was the first to ask.

'_Oh well, I didn't intend to inform everyone_,' Gaoithe thought; however, noticing that everyone looked at him in expectation, he told his housemates what he had just heard at home.

"My father escaped?" Draco asked with a terrified expression. He mumbled something about going to speak with Professor Lupin about the summer holidays, before he dashed out of the common room.

'_Oh no; I wonder what's going to happen during the summer holidays, when we're in the past again_,' Gaoithe mused as he returned home a few minutes after the beginning of curfew.

風の力を持つハリー

Minerva and Severus decided to remain in the future during the summer holidays, just to make sure that nothing bad happened during their absence. "No problem; Ceridwen and I will go to the staircase and come back two months later to fetch you," Gaoithe promised, before he asked hesitantly, "Do you think we should offer Draco to take him with us?"

"As much as I appreciate your concern for Draco," Severus replied thoughtfully, "I wouldn't do that. Since Professor Lupin is his guardian, he is able to remain at Hogwarts, and he is not in immediate danger anyway. If he went to the past with us, what could he do there? You know well enough that classes in the past are completely different from those in the future. He wouldn't be able to attend fifth year together with you and your friends, but he would have to become a first year once again, which I'm certain Draco wouldn't overly like."

"Oh well, that's true," Gaoithe agreed, admitting to himself that he had not even thought about that problem.

On the first day of the holidays, Gaoithe and Ceridwen left Merlin House through the door leading to the staircase. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Gaoithe thought of the first of September, and the two friends headed back to the Snapes' quarters to fetch Minerva, Severus and Uisce. "Did anything happen?" Gaoithe asked anxiously.

"No," Severus said, shaking his head. "I don't know what Malfoy is planning; however, so far no one heard anything from him or from the other Death Eaters, who escaped with him. Very well then, let's go."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe was happy to be back in the past. '_Everything is so much quieter and more peaceful here_,' he thought gratefully, remembering that he had had the same thought last year. However, as soon as classes in the past began, he realised that the Founders kept their fifth years extremely busy. It was not only that they had to study for the OWLs, but they had additional classes in Divination with Professor Ravenclaw and Latin with Slytherin, and they had to work hard with Professor Gryffindor to make their own swords, so that they would be able to get used to them, before they had to fight with them in their Sword Fighting OWL at the end of the school year.

Gaoithe especially enjoyed making his own sword; however, he struggled with the decision how to decorate it. The great majority of the students chose the crests of their own House; however, since Gaoithe was in two different Houses in the past and in the future, he pondered for quite a while what he wanted his sword to look like. '_Ceridwen is lucky_,' he thought, '_because she is in Hufflepuff in both times_.'

"You don't have to use one of the Houses by all means," Professor Gryffindor advised him gently. "Why don't you use your Animagus form? A phoenix would look fantastic on your sword."

'_Hmm_,' Gaoithe thought. '_That's an idea. On the other hand, the Merlin crest has a phoenix anyway_.' Finally, he decided on the Hogwarts crest along with his wind phoenix form.

"Gaoithe, this sword looks absolutely gorgeous," Ceridwen commended him, when he finally finished his sword a few days before the beginning of the winter holidays.

"Ceridwen," Gaoithe replied thoughtfully, shyly deciding to ignore the praise. "Do you think we should stay for the rest of the year, before we go back to the future, so that we're properly prepared for the OWLs?"

"That might be a good idea," Ceridwen agreed. "Why don't we speak with Helga and your parents tonight? I'd love to play with Uisce anyway. We've been much too busy recently."

Uisce cheered happily when her adored big brother and big sister, which was what she thought of Ceridwen, entered their quarters. She ran over to the two students and waved her toy wand, shouting, "Ako!"

"Oh no," Ceridwen said, feigning to be afraid of the little girl's wand. "Gaoithe, this place is dangerous. Let's go back to our common room."

"Noo," Uisce shouted, slinging both arms around Ceridwen's legs. "Geeha, Cediwen pway wif me."

Ceridwen and Gaoithe played with Uisce for a while, before they bathed her and brought her to bed. "Thank you so much," Minerva said gratefully, when she returned to the living room.

"I'm sorry that we were so busy recently," Gaoithe apologized and explained the reason for their visit.

Minerva and Severus exchanged a glance to confirm that they shared the same opinion, before Minerva spoke up. "Ceridwen, Gaoithe, I believe that in the OWL year it might be the best to complete the year here and concentrate on your studies, before you attend the whole year in the future without having to worry about your studies here in the past."

Severus nodded in agreement, and Ceridwen and Gaoithe exchanged a relieved look, even if they were sad upon hearing that Minerva and Severus were going to go back to the future with Uisce right after Christmas.

However, during the following months, Gaoithe and his friends were so busy studying that they didn't have much time to miss the cute, little girl. Only when Gaoithe fell into bed in the evenings, he always looked at the photo on his night table, from where Uisce was happily waving to him, while Minerva stretched out her arms as to embrace him and Severus raised an eyebrow, smirking.

To Gaoithe's relief, the OWLs in the past were harmless in comparison to the classes during their fifth year. '_At least I should have managed to pass all of my tests_,' he thought contentedly as he entered the Great Hall for dinner on the last day of the OWLs.

Since Ceridwen wanted to spend a few weeks with her parents in Hogsmeade, Gaoithe stepped out to the staircase alone at the beginning of the holidays, before he turned back, telling the door a date that was four weeks in the future. Unfortunately, only when he headed back through Merlin House, he realised that Ceridwen and he had not fixed an exact date. '_Oh no, she might still be in Hogsmeade_,' Gaoithe thought, deciding to look for his Head of House. However, Helga was not in the castle either. Feeling slightly impatient, because he couldn't wait to see his own parents and Uisce, Gaoithe transformed into his phoenix form and flashed to Hogsmeade, inwardly sighing in relief when he found Ceridwen at home along with Helga and their parents.

"Oh Gaoithe, I'm glad to have you here," Helga greeted him when she let him in, causing Gaoithe to cast her a surprised look, raising an eyebrow in silent question. Helga let out a long sigh. "Ceridwen and my parents have been discussing her future for weeks now. Ceridwen wants to skip her sixth and seventh year and instead train to become a Healer in the future, while my parents and I believe that she should properly finish Hogwarts first, be it here in this time or in the future. Could you perhaps try to talk some sense into her?"

Gaoithe sighed, thoughtfully rubbing his forehead. '_I'd love to have her in the future with me_,' he thought; '_however, she really should take her NEWTs_.'

"It's not that I don't want to finish Hogwarts," Ceridwen said in a very upset voice. "However, a few months or whatever it is ago, Madam Pomfrey told me that she needed to get an apprentice, because she has so much work, especially with the Healing classes beside everything else, and I want her to take me as her apprentice. She surely won't want to wait three full years until I'm finished with my NEWTs."

"Ceridwen, watch your tone," Helga said disapprovingly, causing her sister to glare at her.

Noticing that everyone was looking at him in expectance, Gaoithe slowly spoke up. "Maybe we could ask Madam Pomfrey if Ceridwen can become her apprentice while she still attends school. I don't know if that's possible, but we could ask her. Why don't you come to the future with us? I'll bring you back here at anytime."

"Oh, I'd love to go and take a look at the future," Heather said eagerly, and her husband Heath grudgingly agreed to accompany his wife and daughters.

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Gaoithe and the Hufflepuffs travelled into the future, to the twentieth of August before Ceridwen's and Gaoithe's fifth Hogwarts year in the future, so that the Hufflepuffs could have a few quiet days at Hogwarts, before the students were going to come back. Gaoithe although remembered that he had promised Professor Lovegood to help preparing everything for the computer classes that were planned to commence from the new school year onwards.

Minerva and Severus, who had become good friends with Heather and Heath, greeted them with surprise. "We're glad that you managed to visit us," Minerva said gently. "Are you going to stay in your own quarters, or would you like the house-elves to prepare guest quarters for you?"

Helga smiled as she said, "No, thank you, Minerva. My parents will stay in Salazar's and my own quarters." She glanced at her parents to make sure that they weren't too tired from the energy consuming time travel, before she asked, "What time is it? Do we still have time to go to Hogsmeade to buy some clothes for my parents before it's going to become dark?"

"It's only eleven o'clock in the morning," Minerva reassured the younger witch. "Would you like one of us to come with you?"

"Ceridwen and I can go, Mum," Gaoithe threw in, knowing that his parents were extremely busy with the preparations for the new school year.

Everyone agreed, and after lunch in the Great Hall, where Minerva introduced the Hufflepuffs to her colleagues, Gaoithe and the four Hufflepuffs walked down to Hogsmeade. They were nearly finished with their shopping, when suddenly the air temperature dropped a few degrees and it became extremely cold in spite of the fact that it was the end of August.

"Gaoithe, what's happening?" Ceridwen asked in confusion, knowing that something was very wrong.

"I've no idea," Gaoithe replied, before he remembered what Sirius had told him about his stay in Azkaban a few years ago. "Dementors!" he blurted out, just when the first strange, black creatures appeared on the main street. "Quickly; grab my tail feathers. I'll flash you back to Hogwarts," he said urgently and transformed into his phoenix form.

"No Gaoithe," Helga said firmly, pointing to a small boy nearby, who was crying at the sight of the ugly creature that came straight to him. "Maybe I can help."

"We don't have these in our time, but if they spread such coldness, we need to counter with a fire blasting spell," Heather said thoughtfully.

Gaoithe looked up in surprise, feverishly searching his mind for an animal that could breathe huge amounts of fire. '_The Patronusaurus_,' he mused, trying to recall what the huge animal had looked like in the book about dinosaurs, which he had studied for his Care of Magical Creatures OWLs in the past. '_Oh all right_,' he thought. '_It looks a bit similar to an elephant, only that it's not grey but orange and brown like a tiger, and it's about ten times the size of an elephant. Also the nose is much larger and looks a bit like a vacuum cleaner_,' he remembered. He flew a few metres away from the others and transformed into a patronusaurus, causing the Hufflepuffs to jump aside in shock.

'Tell them I'm sorry. I didn't want to frighten anyone,' he quickly thought to Ceridwen, who looked extremely tiny a few metres below his head. Not really used to the size of animal he was, he made a few uncertain, large steps towards the Dementors and took a deep breath, sucking in the first Dementor, before he breathed it out in a huge blast of fire. Gaoithe swiftly repeated the process with the two dozen other Dementors that were around, noticing in relief that they exploded, only leaving tiny pieces of ash behind. In absolute exhaustion, he transformed back into his phoenix form right before the world around him turned black.

_tbc..._


	35. Chapter 35

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 35**

When Gaoithe regained consciousness, he found himself sitting on Ceridwen's lap, and she was gently petting his head feathers. '_Feels good_,' he thought, letting out a contented trill.

"Are you awake, Gaoithe?" Ceridwen asked, giving him a sharp look. "Thank Merlin. I was worried, although Mum and Helga said that you only depleted your magic and suffered from the effects of these creatures. You saved the village from them, do you know that?"

Gaoithe let out a huge yawn. He glanced around, realising that they were on the playground, which Ceridwen, Hermione, Neville and he had discovered during one of the Hogsmeade visits. '_She seems to like it here_,' he thought in amusement, noticing that Ceridwen's father was sitting on the bench next to them and was quietly watching them.

"Are you all right, Gaoithe?" Heath suddenly spoke up, looking at him in apparent concern.

Gaoithe nodded, letting out a series of soft trills. '_Where is everyone else?_' he wondered in confusion.

"Mum and Helga are still on the main street helping the people. Many of them are suffering from the influences of these creatures, but I decided to keep an eye on you," Ceridwen explained as if she had been able to read his thoughts.

#Okay, thank you,# Gaoithe trilled in spite of knowing that no one except for his parents and strangely enough his sister were able to understand his trills. He turned his head backwards and drifted back to sleep, enjoying the gentle touch of Ceridwen's hands.

He woke up a while later to the voices of Helga and Heather. "Someone told us that chocolate would help with the influences of these creatures," Helga just explained to the others. "I think it was the owner of the sweets shop. He distributed sweets to everyone." Helga produced a few bars of Honeyduke's Finest out of her robe pocket, handing one of them each to her father and to Ceridwen, before she looked at Gaoithe in concern and pulled her wand.

#I'm fine,# Gaoithe trilled sleepily, feeling very annoyed when his Head of House of the past waved her wand over him.

"Don't transform back," Helga instructed him firmly. "We're going to take you back to Hogwarts, and then I'll change you back."

Gaoithe nodded in understanding and made himself comfortable on Ceridwen's shoulder, where the girl placed him before she rose from the bench. He lazily let his eyes wander around the small town, when all of a sudden a small group of people stepped in their way.

"Excuse me," a woman with very bright hair said, "aren't you the ones who helped the people in the village?"

"Yes, my mother and I are Healers," Helga replied in a kind voice, before she firmly turned away.

At the same time, a man, who accompanied the witch, shot photographs, causing Gaoithe to close his eyes at the bright light of the flash, while Ceridwen's parents efficiently hid their surprise at the strange, futuristic device.

"I am Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet, and I'd like to thank you and to introduce you to our readers," the woman spoke again.

'_She is an annoying bitch_,' Gaoithe mused and thought to Helga, 'Professor, please don't tell her anything. We don't support the Daily Prophet, because the editor of the Quibbler, a much better newspaper, is a professor at Hogwarts and much more reliable.'

"We will give our information to the Quibbler," Helga replied firmly and ushered her parents and sister towards the Hogwarts gates.

"Can you tell us anything about the large animal that destroyed the Dementors?" Skeeter asked again, but Helga merely shook her head. "Is that your phoenix?" Skeeter queried, turning to Ceridwen.

"Yes," Ceridwen replied softly, protectively placing a hand on Gaoithe's head.

"Leave us in peace," Heath hissed, causing the small group of reporters to finally retreat, so that the Hufflepuffs could finally return to Hogwarts.

Due to his expanded vision in his phoenix form, Gaoithe could see Aurors apparate into the town and thought, '_Thank Merlin; we're right in time to escape. How would we be able to explain who the Hufflepuffs are?_' They were just half way up to the castle, when they met Severus and Frank Longbottom, who were striding towards Hogsmeade in a fast pace. Severus sighed in relief as he spotted Gaoithe on Ceridwen's shoulder. "Is everything all right?" he queried, glancing at Helga. "We heard that there were Dementors in the town.

"Yes, but your son managed to get rid of them, before they could really harm anyone," Helga replied, smiling proudly at the phoenix.

'_Why is she proud of me?_' Gaoithe wondered in surprise. #I could only do that because her mother said we had to fight the Dementors with fire, so I transformed into a patronusaurus,# he informed his father.

"We assume that Mr. Malfoy and his fellow Death Eaters somehow managed to control the Dementors," Professor Longbottom threw in. "Let's hope that you're always nearby, when they decide to send them out, Gaoithe."

Gaoithe jumped from Ceridwen's shoulder and transformed into his human form, ignoring the glares, which Helga and Heather sent into his direction. "Mr. Malfoy controls the Dementors?" he asked horrified. "Is it then for a reason that he sent them to Hogsmeade this afternoon? Does he know that it was me who killed the Dark Lord?"

Severus exchanged a look with the Defence professor, before he replied, "I don't think that he targeted you or that he knows who got rid of the Dark Lord. He probably sent the Dementors to Hogsmeade just randomly, knowing that many students are buying their school supplies these days. He might even attack Diagon Alley before the beginning of the new school year." Gaoithe looked at his father in shock as Severus continued, "It seems that Lucius Malfoy decided to become the next Dark Lord."

"As far as we know," Longbottom threw in, "there are about one hundred Dementors. At least that is the number that the Ministry owned a few years ago. How many do you think you got rid of today?"

Gaoithe frowned. "Between twenty and thirty I think." He looked questioningly at the Hufflepuffs.

"About thirty I'd say," Helga said thoughtfully, before she continued in a sterner voice, "Gaoithe, which part of 'Do not transform' did you not understand?"

"I'm sorry, Professor," Gaoithe replied, inwardly rolling his eyes, "but this conversation was too important."

"Very well then, I'm going to take you to the hospital wing," Helga said firmly. "You are not allowed to do anything strenuous, let alone magic, for at least a week."

"No," Gaoithe said in a very upset voice. "I will go home. I promise that I'll try not to do magic." '_Do people always have to make such a fuss?_' he thought in annoyance. '_Of course I'm knackered, but it doesn't matter. We still have a week left until school begins_.'

"It's all right, Helga. I'll keep an eye on him," Ceridwen promised, causing her sister to grudgingly agree.

Unfortunately, it was only three days later that Gaoithe overheard by chance that Minerva informed Severus that Dementors were attacking Diagon Alley.

'_Diagon Alley_,' Gaoithe thought, terrified. '_I need to go and play patronusaurus once again. Otherwise, they could do great harm at Diagon Alley_.' He hurriedly informed Ceridwen, who was studying together with him in his room.

"Gaoithe, you can't go. You shouldn't do any magic yet," Ceridwen said, looking at him in concern. However, apparently realising that she wouldn't be able to keep him back, she added, "At least, allow me to accompany you and let Yuki flash us, so that she can take us back at any time."

"I'll ask Yuki, but you're going to stay here," Gaoithe replied firmly. "I don't want to endanger you." He called Yuki and instructed her to take him to Diagon Alley, and before Ceridwen could react in any way, he was gone in a small splash of ice. "Yuki, please stay near me all the time. I need you to flash me back as soon as I transform back," he said to the phoenix, shivering at the cold air of Diagon Alley. Looking around, he saw that the wizarding shopping street was very crowded and that people were trying in vain to get away from the Dementors that were slowly descending onto the street. '_Oh my, there are even more than in Hogsmeade the other day_,' Gaoithe realised in shock.

Immediately transforming into the patronusaurus again, he got rid of at least fifty Dementors, before he took a break in exhaustion. Suddenly, he noticed that Severus was contacting him through telepathy.

'Gaoithe, there are Aurors, who will be able to get rid of the Dementors for the time being. Come back home immediately,' his father thought to him. At the same time, he saw someone far down on the ground, who apparently made the remaining Dementors flee. The person looked like Dumbledore, but Gaoithe was not sure because everyone was so tiny in comparison to himself. He decided to obey to his father and used his remaining energy to change back into his phoenix form, before he collapsed on the ground, sighing in relief as he felt Yuki carefully take him into her beak. By the time they reached Hogwarts, he had fallen into a deep sleep and only woke up a whole week later.

'_Where am I?_' he wondered as he finally opened his eyes, finding himself in his own room in their quarters that they used in the time of the Founders. '_I'm in the future, aren't I?_' he thought, smiling as he saw Ceridwen sit on the edge of his bed, deeply engrossed in an old tome.

"Hi Ceridwen," he mumbled tiredly, thinking, '_She is beautiful_' as she smiled down at him.

"I'm so glad that you're awake," she said softly. "Let me tell Helga and Mum. They'll be glad, too."

"No, wait," Gaoithe said slowly, bringing himself into a sitting position. "Let me fully wake up first. What happened? There were the Dementors at Diagon Alley, right?" He raised an eyebrow at the girl, trying to remember how he had ended up wherever they were.

"Yuki brought you back home, but you didn't wake up," Ceridwen said softly. "And my mother and sister decided to take you to your room here, so that they could give you potions and look after you while you slept. You were asleep for a whole week. The students arrived back last night."

"So classes have already begun?" Gaoithe asked, terrified.

"Easy, Gaoithe," Ceridwen said soothingly. "You won't be allowed to attend classes for at least a month anyway." She gently moved an errand streak of hair from his cheek as she continued, "You may only attend classes, in which we don't do magic, but we can do our homework and study for the theoretical part of the OWLs together."

Gaoithe groaned. "Why does everyone have to be so overprotective?" he mumbled, sighing. "I'm fine."

"Yes, I know, sweetie," Ceridwen replied, smirking. "Still you need to build up your magic first before you use it. That's why my sister insisted that we stay in her quarters for the time being. She made a connection door from your room to her living room." Ceridwen pointed to a new door, which Gaoithe had not even noticed so far.

"But Uisce," Gaoithe said, knowing that the little girl missed him terribly when he was away.

Ceridwen chuckled. "Since you have lots of time during classes, Helga and your parents agreed that you may watch Uisce if you're not too tired. "Oh and by the way, I have good news. Professor Pomfrey accepted me as her apprentice, although I still have to finish the last three Hogwarts years."

"Wow, Ceridwen, that's too cool," Gaoithe said with excitement. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you."

"I'm happy, too," Ceridwen replied, smiling. "Now, let me fetch Helga." She hesitated for a moment, before she added, "She was very angry, just so you know. She still might be a bit upset."

"Ceridwen, wait a moment," Gaoithe said thoughtfully, reaching for her arm. '_I just have to ask her if she wants to become my girlfriend. She is so wonderful_.' He unsurely cleared his throat, feeling as if a lump was stuck in his throat. Seeing that Ceridwen was eyeing him in expectation, he asked in a small voice, "I know this might be a bit sudden, but would you like to become my girlfriend?"

Gaoithe anxiously observed how the edges of Ceridwen's mouth slowly pulled up and a huge smile spread over her face. "Gaoithe," she said in her soft voice that Gaoithe loved so much, "I'd love to become your girlfriend; but did my parents agree to this?"

"Your parents?" Gaoithe asked incredulously. '_Do I have to ask her parents?_' he wondered in disbelief. "I don't know," he replied in a small voice. "Mine will of course agree, but what does this have to do with our parents?"

Ceridwen looked at him in surprise, before realisation set in. "Gaoithe, I'm sorry, but how does that work in this time? In the past, your parents would have to talk with mine..."

The two friends spent the next twenty minutes discussing the matter and finally agreed to go along the future method and become girlfriend and boyfriend for the time being. However, they decided to keep the matter to themselves and only speak with their parents after finishing the OWLs in the future next summer, since neither Ceridwen nor Gaoithe could be sure how the Hufflepuffs, who were used to the tradition of one thousand years earlier, would think about of it. Ceridwen and Gaoithe had just finished their conversation, when Helga slipped into the room, looking at Gaoithe in surprise. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she said kindly, sounding less upset than Gaoithe had anticipated.

"Good morning, Professor. I am sorry," he replied quietly.

"What are you sorry for, sweetie?" Helga asked gently, giving him a sharp look.

Gaoithe felt himself blush and inwardly sighed in annoyance. '_This is worse than if she just proceeded to scold me_,' he thought, casting a help searching look at Ceridwen; however, his girlfriend seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts and was smiling happily. "For flashing to Diagon Alley in spite of your instruction to not do magic," he replied in a small voice, averting his eyes to the floor.

"So at least you know that it was not all right," Helga said sternly, glaring at him.

"Yes Professor, I'm sorry," Gaoithe apologized again.

"You don't have to be sorry; you only have to obey," Helga said strictly. "Of course, I will not deny that you probably saved many lives; however, I do not want you to save people going as far as endangering your own life. Do you understand me? There are adults in this time, who know what to do against Dementors. I have to admit that my parents and I did not know the Patronus Charm, but that was because of our situation, since we don't have Dementors in our time, and we are very grateful that you helped us in Hogsmeade. However, all of our future colleagues are able to cast the Patronus charm, and in the meantime, Professor Longbottom has even taught my parents and me."

"Oh right, I saw someone cast a spell or charm," Gaoithe remembered. "I think it was the Minister of Magic."

"Exactly," Helga said dryly. "Well, I am sure Ceridwen has already informed you that you must not attend classes nor Quidditch practice or any other activities that afford magic until I tell you otherwise."

Gaoithe nodded, trying to fight the tears back at the thought of not being allowed to play Quidditch. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind and he looked at his Head of House in shock. "Professor," he said, terrified. "I am sorry. I promised to take you back to the past..."

He inwardly sighed in relief when Helga's expression softened and she smiled at him. "Don't worry, Gaoithe. My parents and I decided to stay here for a while. My mother and I want to study with Professor Pomfrey, and we also want to keep an eye on you and Ceridwen."

'_And make unnecessary fuss_,' Gaoithe thought to himself, although he felt happy at the thought of having Helga stay for a while, because he really liked his Head of House of the past. During the following weeks, he realised that Helga had not exaggerated. He became tired very often, and he was glad that he only had to attend classes when he felt well enough. While Ceridwen and his other friends were in class, Gaoithe spent much time helping Professor Lovegood to install Windows on more than a dozen computers and to develop a method to connect all the computers with each other, glad that Helga and Heather took turns with him looking after Uisce, so that he could really concentrate on his research.

It was a few days before the beginning of the winter holidays when Gaoithe finally succeeded in setting up the Wizardnet, connecting the twenty computers that were ready to be taken into the professors' offices.

"Gaoithe," Minerva said, smiling at the boy when he set up the computer in the Headmistress' office. "Thank you very much for all the work that you put into this. I think, and I already spoke with Professor Lovegood about the matter, that we should keep the information about the Wizardnet and the fact that you managed to make the computers work in the magical world for ourselves for the time being."

Seeing that Gaoithe looked at her in surprise, Minerva continued, "Professor Hufflepuff told me that you'll finally be allowed to do magic and attend all of your classes from January onwards, and I believe that you'll have a lot to catch up. Your father and I decided to teach you in the core subjects, and we will allow you to give up some of your selective subjects, considering that you have already taken your OWLs in the past and that we fear that you overwork yourself. Nevertheless, you won't have time to do any research or further work on computers before the end of the school year. Therefore, we thought that it would be better to keep your success a secret for a while. Can you imagine Professor Dumbledore's reaction if you told him about the Wizardnet?" she asked, smiling at Gaoithe.

Gaoithe rolled his eyes. "He'd probably want to award us the Order of Merlin yet again and would want me to provide computers for the whole magical world," he replied, smirking.

"Exactly," Minerva said dryly, apparently contented with her son's reaction.

"Mum," Gaoithe spoke up hesitantly, "I'd like to go to Hogsmeade to buy Christmas presents for Ceridwen and Uisce. During the Hogsmeade visit I couldn't go, because Professor Lovegood and I wanted to finish this project, and...

"It's all right, sweetie," Minerva interrupted him gently. "I'll take you to Hogsmeade on Saturday morning."

Gaoithe slowly averted his eyes to the floor. Only when Minerva asked in a soft voice if there was anything else, he slowly said, "Mum, please keep this to yourself. Oh well, you may tell Dad about it, but no one else. At the beginning of the school year, Ceridwen agreed to become my girlfriend." He slowly looked up, casting his adoptive mother an assessing look. Seeing that she smiled warmly, he continued, "She told me that in the past, you and Dad would have to ask her parents if they agree that we get together. Therefore, we thought to speak with you and Dad about it after we finish our OWLs, provided that her parents stay here until the end of the school year." He let out a long sigh. "I don't like hiding it from everyone, because I'm so happy to have her as my girlfriend. Oh well, I think Hermione knows. She is too clever to hide anything from her, and Neville might suspect something. Anyway, I thought that maybe I could buy a ring or something for her for Christmas." He slowly trailed off, deep in thoughts.

"I'm very glad that you found such a wonderful girlfriend. I fully support your decision," Minerva said warmly, before she continued, "Gaoithe, personally, I don't think you need to wait until after your OWLs, considering that you have already taken your OWLs in the past and that both of you are already about nineteen years old and young adults, even if you're officially only fifteen. Therefore, I believe that you're both old enough to decide what you want, and it would be a good idea to speak with the Hufflepuffs while they're here in this time. Let's discuss the matter with Ceridwen and your father." She remained thoughtful for an instant, before she asked softly, "Gaoithe, would you mind if I spoke with Professor Hufflepuff and asked her how exactly we have to proceed in order to follow the habits of their time?"

Gaoithe nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, Mum," he said, suddenly feeling very relieved at the prospect of having his parents' help in the matter.

Minerva fondly ruffled his hair. "You could have come to your father or me much earlier," she said in a soft voice. "Now I believe it's time for dinner."

Gaoithe followed his mother to the Great Hall, where he walked by the Hufflepuff table and stood behind Ceridwen, before he telepathically told him about his conversation with Minerva.

"Gaoithe, telepathy is magic," Ceridwen lightly scolded him, before a small smile began to play on her lips and she continued, "Thank you, Gaoithe. I'm so happy that we already have your parents' approval."

"I am very happy, too," Gaoithe whispered and turned around to sit at the Merlin table.

"Gaoithe," Cedric Diggory, who was a seventh year student and the Merlin Quidditch captain, asked eagerly, "do you know when you'll be allowed to play Quidditch again?"

Gaoithe sighed. "Probably from the beginning of January onwards." He remained quiet for a moment, before he asked slowly, "Am I still on the team?"

"Of course," Cedric replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "Draco has been playing for you, but everyone knows that you're the much better Seeker, and we can't afford losing another match."

風の力を持つハリー

It was later in the evening, when Ceridwen and Gaoithe had put Uisce to bed and were just about to return to Helga's quarters, when Professor Pomfrey stepped through the fireplace into the Snapes' living room. "I'm sorry for disturbing you," she apologized, looking very worried. "Has any of you seen Draco Malfoy tonight?"

"No," Minerva and Severus replied simultaneously, while Ceridwen and Gaoithe shook their heads. "Perhaps in Remus' quarters?" Minerva suggested, offering her friend a seat, which the Merlin Head declined.

"No. I went there first. No one has seen him after Quidditch practice, and he did not return to the common room by curfew," Pomfrey said, her voice laced with concern.

"I'll flash to him," Gaoithe offered and transformed into his phoenix form, not even waiting for his parents' approval, before he flashed away, thinking of flashing to Draco. 'Gaoithe, be careful,' he noticed his father think to him; however, it was already too late. He arrived in a huge parlour, '_probably Malfoy Manor_,' he thought, looking terrified at Mr. Malfoy, who immediately pulled his wand and pointed it at him.

"Oh, someone came to rescue Draco," he sneered. "This will have tragic consequences. No one messes up with me."

As soon as the stuck-up, evil wizard began to cast an incantation, Gaoithe flashed away, noticing that a very pale looking Draco was sitting on the sofa. He appeared right outside the border of the Manor, where he transformed into a mosley, before he flashed straight back and settled down on the mantelpiece, observing the interaction of father and son in concern.

"Now Draco, tell me, who was it who vanquished the Dark Lord?" Malfoy queried, looking at his son with a hateful expression.

'_Poor Draco_,' Gaoithe thought, feeling very sorry for his friend.

"I don't know, sir," Draco replied firmly. "I only know that it was a Hogwarts student, but not who it was."

"We shall see about that," Malfoy said, before he called out, "Beelzebub!"

A house-elf appeared in front of the tall wizard and bowed so deeply that his long ears touched the floor. "Master Lucius, what cans Beelzebub does for yous?" he asked in an urgent voice that made Gaoithe wonder if the small elf was afraid of his master.

"Bring me a phial of Veritaserum," Malfoy demanded, poking the small elf with the tip of his wand.

"Yes Master Lucius, Beelzebub wills fetch Veritaserum for yous," Beelzebub replied and once again bowed deeply, before he popped away and back mere instants later, carrying a small phial.

Malfoy stepped over to Draco and let three drops of the clear liquid drop onto Draco's tongue, making Gaoithe wonder why he used so much. '_One should be enough for a teenager of Draco's age_,' he thought, feeling very upset for his friend.

"Now let's try again," Malfoy sneered. "Who killed the Dark Lord?"

"Gaoithe Snape, sir," Draco replied, clearly under the influence of the Veritaserum.

"Ah," Malfoy said in apparent surprise. "Was he the phoenix or the pink bunny?"

"Probably both, but I am not sure, sir," Draco replied thruthfully.

"Very interesting," Malfoy sneered. "Was that the same phoenix that came to rescue you a few minutes ago?"

"I think so," Draco replied, causing Gaoithe to frown.

'_How am I supposed to get him out of here, or will his father let him go anyway, now that he received the information that he wanted?_' he thought worriedly.

"Very well then, Draco. Since I do not wish that you have further contact with this kind of unworthy wizards and muggleborns, I'm going to keep you at home, especially since you didn't manage to get sorted into Slytherin anyway," Malfoy said strictly. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Draco replied obediently, looking very sad and upset.

'_I will take him home as soon as possible. Does Malfoy even have the right to keep him? I thought Professor Lupin was his guardian now._' Gaoithe's thoughts went haywire, so that he missed the rest of the conversation. He was only brought back to reality, when the fireplace flared and Lucius Malfoy leaned into the fireplace.

'Draco, grab my tail feathers,' Gaoithe mind thought to his friend as he flew over to the boy. In front of the sofa, he transformed into his phoenix form, glad that Draco's father seemed to be completely engrossed in his discussion, turning his back to him. As soon as he felt Draco grab his back feathers, he flashed home, noticing from the corner of his eyes that Malfoy pointed his wand at them, before they disappeared.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe flashed them straight into the Snapes' living room, where everyone was still waiting for him to return. #Dad, you need to give Draco the antidote for Veritaserum,# he trilled urgently, before anyone could ask anything.

Severus gave the blonde boy a sharp look. "Draco, are you all right? Have you been questioned under Veritaserum?"

"Yes sir," Draco replied automatically.

Severus nodded in understanding and summoned a small phial through the slightly open door to his lab. He held it out to Draco, who hurriedly sipped the clear liquid and handed the phial back. "Thank you, Professor," he said gratefully, a relieved expression on his face.

Gaoithe, who had transformed in the meantime, could sense that Draco was not up to answering questions and shortly explained, "His father captured him to ask him who killed the Dark Lord. He also threatened to keep him at Malfoy Manor and not allow him to return to Hogwarts."

"I'm sorry, Gaoithe," Draco blurted out, turning his eyes to Gaoithe.

"It's not your fault, Draco," Gaoithe said soothingly. "I know that you didn't want to give me away."

"I suggest that you sit down and have a cup of cocoa and then go to bed. It's late enough," Pomfrey suggested, noticing that Draco seemed to still be shocked by the events, and everyone complied, trying to speak about other things than the evil blonde wizard, who apparently intended to be the new Dark Lord.

風の力を持つハリー

On Friday afternoon, when the last classes before the Christmas holidays were over, Severus addressed Ceridwen and Gaoithe, who were playing wizard's chess in the living room, while Uisce was sitting next to them on the floor, trying to dress Iro and Hikaru in robes, which she had grown out a few months earlier.

"Minerva and I spoke with Professor Hufflepuff and afterwards with her parents about your relationship," he began to speak, causing the two friends to look at him with a mixture of anxiousness and expectation. "The Hufflepuffs decided to accept a solution according to the habits of this time, which means the much easier way. They only insist that if you decide to marry, you should have a wedding ceremony in the past."

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe blurted out, smiling at Ceridwen in relief.

"Thank you, Professor," Ceridwen said, returning a happy smile.

"Ceridwen," Severus said, smirking, "I suggest that as our son's girlfriend you call Minerva and me by our given names in private. As you know I am Severus..."

"Uisce," Gaoithe interrupted his father, glaring at the little girl. "Leave Iro in peace. If she makes these sounds, it means that she doesn't like it. Let go off her."

Uisce grudgingly took her robes off the chameguise, glaring back at Gaoithe. "Iwo pwetty," she muttered, climbing onto her father's lap in a huff, while the two chameguises dashed away into Gaoithe's room.

風の力を持つハリー

In the morning, Minerva and Gaoithe accompanied the students to the station in Hogsmeade and afterwards headed into the town. "Would you rather go to Diagon Alley?" Minerva asked gently, causing Gaoithe to frown.

"Mum, I don't know. I'd love to buy a ring or a chain or something for Ceridwen," Gaoithe replied unsurely. "What do you think would be the best?"

"I would not buy a ring for her yet," Minerva replied thoughtfully, "but I have an idea." She led Gaoithe away from the main street to a small side street and stopped in front of a tiny shop that looked a bit shabby, at least from the outside. "Let's go in here," she said and opened the door.

'_Here?_' Gaoithe thought in surprise and hesitantly followed his mother into the shop.

Gaoithe let his eyes wander around the room in surprise. The small shop was stuffed with shelves, glass cabinets and boxes. All different kind of jewelleries that he could imagine were displayed, and Gaoithe didn't know where to look first. '_This place is amazing_,' he thought, as his eyes fell on a necklace. It was made of gold and was covered by all kinds of animals. '_All of them are probably magical animals_,' he thought in amazement.

"Look Mum," he said, pointing to the necklace. "What do you think of this?"

Minerva cast the shop owner a questioning look, who then stepped over to them and carefully laid the necklace into her hand. "This is a handmade object that my mother made a few years ago. It is a special necklace with the pattern of the twelve magical animals, which are most important for healers, because it is charmed with the magical properties of the respective animals like, for example, protection and healing charms."

"This is exactly what I need. My girlfriend is a healer's apprentice," Gaoithe said excitedly. "I'd like to buy this one."

"It is a very special object," the jeweller said slowly, looking questioningly at Minerva. "It costs fifty Galleons."

"Could we perhaps say forty?" Minerva asked kindly.

"Very well, Headmistress McGonagall-Snape," the man agreed, and ten minutes later, Gaoithe was the owner of a wonderful Christmas present for his girlfriend.

"I hope Ceridwen will like it," Gaoithe said when they walked back to the main street.

"I am sure she will," Minerva replied, smiling fondly at her son. "Now where else did you want to go?"

"To the toyshop please," Gaoithe said, sighing. "Do you have an idea what I could buy for Uisce?"

"Let's go and have a look," Minerva said thoughtfully, and mother and son entered the magical toyshop.

"I have an idea," Gaoithe said slowly, pointing to a doll, which somehow reminded him of Hermione, since it had the same bushy, brown hair as his friend. The doll was pointing a wand at one of the stuffed animals that were gathered around it, changing the animal's colour with a wave of the wand.

"She can do several easy spells," a woman explained, "like, for example, the lumos spell or a summoning spell. She can even read from her books. The three books here as well as these animals are in a set together with the doll."

'_This seems interesting_,' Gaoithe thought and decided to buy the set for Uisce. He happily left the shop after his mother, glad that he had found the presents for Ceridwen and Uisce so easily.

"That was fast, Gaoithe; do you need presents for the Hufflepuffs or for your father?" Minerva asked gently, causing Gaoithe to chuckle.

"No Mum, I brewed something for all of you," he explained, "and for Dad I brought a few potions ingredients from the past, which I hid in Salazar's lab when I went to his chamber to check on Amaterasu and Susanoo."

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe couldn't wait for Christmas Day to come, not only because he had often missed Christmas during the last years, because of travelling to and from the past, and was looking forward to the event, but also because he wanted to see Ceridwen's reaction to the necklace that he had bought for her. '_I hope she'll like it_,' he thought, taking a glance at the extraordinary jewellery whenever he had a quiet minute. Only right before he went to bed on Christmas Eve, he handed the small box to Nina and asked her to wrap it and give it to Ceridwen in the morning.

On Christmas Day, he woke up when Uisce jumped onto his bed, shouting, "Wakey-wakey Gweha! Pwesens!"

Gaoithe sleepily followed the excited, little girl to the Great Hall that was decorated with a huge Christmas tree. Snowflakes were slowly falling down from the ceiling, covering the top part of the tree but never reaching the floor. Many colourful presents were piled under the tree, and Uisce happily tried to grab every package that she could reach.

"No Uisce, wait," Gaoithe said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Dad told you that we have to eat breakfast together with the other teachers first, did he not?"

His sister gave him a puppy-eye look; however, Severus stepped over to his daughter and swiftly placed her into the children's seat next to her mother. After taking a few bites of his breakfast, Gaoithe finally took pity on the girl and began to pull the presents out from under the tree and read the names from the labels. He had already distributed several dozen presents to everyone and had just read 'Uisce' from the label of a dark green package, when he felt a strange pull behind his navel and was whisked away.

'_Where am I?_' Gaoithe wondered, terrified, when he noticed that he found himself at a place that strangely resembled the dungeon room, in which he had defeated the Dark Lord.

'Gaoithe, wherever you are, try to transform into your phoenix form and flash home,' Severus' thought penetrated his mind, just when Lucius Malfoy appeared through a door at the other end of the large room.

'Okay,' Gaoithe thought back urgently and transformed, flashing away as soon as he could. Instants later, he arrived back in the Great Hall, where a collective sigh of relief greeted him. Gaoithe dragged himself through a series of embraces, before he was allowed to sit down at the table and have a cup of tea, which Severus had unobtrusively laced with a calming draught, noticing that his son seemed to be clearly shaken by the event.

'_The package was for Uisce_,' Gaoithe thought, terrified. '_We really have to be more careful, knowing that Malfoy is targeting her to get to me_.'

風の力を持つハリー

However, the following months passed uneventfully, and Gaoithe slowly began to wonder if Malfoy had forgotten about him. '_This seems too good to be true though_,' he thought and unfortunately, his feeling did not betray him.

It was on the day after the last OWL exams, when all the fifth years happily explored Hogsmeade, that once again Dementors appeared in the village. Together with the chaperoning teachers, Gaoithe and his friends eagerly cast the Patronus charm, which Professor Longbottom had taught them a few weeks before. '_I should have transformed into the patronusaurus. This will only chase them away but won't get rid of them_,' Gaoithe thought as he observed his phoenix Patronus chase a Dementor; however, he refrained from transforming in order to not deplete his magic this time, knowing that he had to take the Hufflepuffs back to the past soon. When the Dementors were gone, everyone continued with their shopping, although the atmosphere was not as relaxed as before but remained slightly subdued. Gaoithe, Ceridwen and their friends, Hermione, Susan, Neville, and Draco, were just about to enter Honeydukes to buy some sweets, when Mr. Malfoy suddenly appeared out of nothing. 'Get inside the shop,' Gaoithe urgently thought to all of his friends simultaneously. 'I will deal with him alone.' Neville quickly ushered the girls into Honeydukes, while Draco remained with Gaoithe. 'Neville, take them back to Hogwarts through the passage that begins in the cellar of Honeydukes,' Gaoithe instructed Neville, trusting his friend to keep the girls safe.

"Father," Draco said in a hateful tone, "what do you want? Can't you leave us in peace?"

"Not before I get my revenge on Snape," Lucius Malfoy sneered, taking a few steps into Gaoithe's direction, "and you will be the next, Draco, if you don't come back to my side."

"I will never join your side," Draco hissed back, glaring at his father, before he unexpectedly pulled his wand and shouted, "Avada..."

Gaoithe looked at the other boy in shock. "No Draco!" he yelled, terrified. However, it was already too late. In front of Mr. Malfoy, who glared in disbelief and anger at his son, a small elf, whom Gaoithe couldn't recall to have seen before, was lying on the ground. Mere instants later, a green light was travelling straight from Malfoy Senior to himself, apparently incanted by a silent spell.

'Draco, grab my back feathers,' Gaoithe thought to his friend and transformed into his phoenix form, not a second too early, because just as he flashed away, he felt the deadly spell hit his head that exploded in pain, before the world turned black.

When he regained consciousness, nothing hurt anymore, but he felt cold, and it was completely dark around him. '_Where am I?_' he wondered, when he heard Yuki's voice.

#Gaoithe, is everything all right?# his familiar trilled, sounding very nearby. #You're a baby again,# she informed him, #and I'm trying to keep you warm. Tell me when you're hungry.#

#Awwigh,# Gaoithe trilled back, only now realising that he was sitting on his perch, covered by his familiar's thick, white wings. '_Oh no, another three weeks of being a phoenix baby_,' he thought, groaning inwardly. '_Oh well, at least I've finished my OWLs, and the summer holidays are going to begin in a few days_.'

During the next three weeks, Gaoithe involuntarily spent much time with Yuki and Fawkes, who still came to join his girlfriend every day. At other times, he cuddled with Minerva, Severus, and Ceridwen. Even if his girlfriend couldn't understand his trills, she always spoke to him in a gentle voice, and Gaoithe felt very happy when he was allowed to sit on her shoulder. One day, however, when Gaoithe woke up from a nap, a phoenix, which he had never seen before, was sitting on the perch next to him. '_Who's that?_' Gaoithe wondered as he lazily stretched his wings.

The other phoenix was not much larger than himself and seemed to be a water phoenix with beautiful blue feathers. Its wing and back feathers had different shades of blue, green, and purple. #Who are you?# Gaoithe trilled curiously, eyeing the phoenix next to him with interest.

#I'm Uisce,# the pretty, small bird trilled happily. #I wanted to pway wif you, Gaoithe. Are you awight?#

Gaoithe looked in disbelief at the small phoenix next to him on the perch. '_Uisce, my little sister is a phoenix?_' he thought in disbelief. '_She is even a few years younger than I was when I first transformed_.' He slowly nodded his head. #I'm fine, Uisce. Wow, you managed to become a phoenix. That's absolutely cool,# he trilled with excitement. #Do Mum and Dad know that you're an Animagus?#

#No.# Uisce shook her head. #Cewiwen towd me I can't pway wif you, but I wanted...# She slowly trailed off, looking unsurely at her older brother.

Gaoithe smiled at the little girl. #You did that very well, Uisce,# he commended her gently. #I'm very proud of you, and I'm sure Mum and Dad will be too.# '_I need to somehow bond with Ceridwen_,' he thought. '_I hate that I can't speak with her_.' He spoke with Uisce in a quiet voice, before the little girl drifted off to sleep. '_The transformation must have been very tiring for her_,' Gaoithe thought, chuckling as he began to meticulously clean his wing feathers.

_tbc..._


	36. Chapter 36

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 36**

Gaoithe looked up when Ceridwen stood in front of the perch. "Gaoithe, should I take Uisce down from here?" She asked gently. "I'm afraid that she might fall off, considering that she isn't used to her phoenix form yet."

#I don't think so,# Gaoithe trilled, trying to recall how he had bonded to Severus in the first place and then to Minerva, before a thought crossed his mind. '_I can try to use telepathy_,' he realised. 'Ceridwen, do you understand me if I think to you, even if I'm in my phoenix form?' he thought to his girlfriend, who looked to him and smiled.

"I can understand your thoughts, Gaoithe. I'm glad to hear you, sweetie. I missed you, even if you were here the whole time," Ceridwen said in a soft voice.

'Do you think I could transform back?' Gaoithe asked, sighing. 'How much time passed since Malfoy attacked me?'

"It's three weeks tomorrow," Ceridwen replied slowly, "but I'm not sure if you're strong enough for the transformation yet. Your mother said something about maybe changing you back on the day after tomorrow."

'Where are my parents?' Gaoithe asked, glancing around in surprise. Normally, both of his parents tried to work at home, especially now during the summer holidays. However, only Ceridwen and Uisce were keeping him company today.

Ceridwen sighed. "They went to see the Minister of Magic for the umpteenth time, because of the fight between Malfoy Senior and you and Draco. He should be sent to Azkaban; however, he denies that he cast the killing curse at you," she explained in a grave voice, causing Gaoithe to let out a gasp.

'And?' he asked urgently.

"The Minister sent Aurors to Malfoy Manor; however, his wand did not show that he used the killing curse."

'Of course he must be using a different wand, if he goes to kill someone,' Gaoithe thought to Ceridwen in an upset voice. 'We had that before, and his wand didn't show anything.'

"That's what your father said as well," Ceridwen said, letting out a long sigh. "He assumes that he also took an antidote to Veritaserum, so that they couldn't question him properly. Fortunately, the Minister is on your parents' side, and he tries to do something about Malfoy, but it seems to be very difficult. However, I haven't told you the worst yet." Seeing that Gaoithe looked at her in expectation, she continued, "He accuses Draco of trying to kill him and instead killing his house-elf, who jumped in front of him right in time."

'And now?' Gaoithe asked, feeling absolutely terrified. '_Of course, Draco cast the killing curse at his father_,' he remembered and asked, 'Where is Draco now? Did they take him with them? I will...'

"No Gaoithe, you won't do anything," Ceridwen said sternly. "You're still a baby phoenix, or maybe a toddler; I'm not sure. However, you're not able to flash yet, let alone transport persons."

'Ceridwen,' Gaoithe thought urgently. 'I still need to know where Draco is. We must do something. Otherwise, they're going to take him to Azkaban.'

Ceridwen let out a long sigh. "Gaoithe, Professor Lupin is Draco's guardian. Do you really believe that he would easily allow them to send Draco to Azkaban?" Seeing that Gaoithe fluffed his feathers in anxious expectation, she explained, "He will have a trial at the Ministry, which is scheduled for a date in about a fortnight. Fortunately, he told your parents everything that happened in Hogsmeade as soon as you arrived back with him, and your father cleared his wand from any possible evidence. Well, apart from the dead house-elf," she corrected herself. So there is no proof that Draco did anything. Since you were with him at that time, they will probably question you, and you need to discuss with your parents what you should say."

'All right,' Gaoithe agreed, looking up startled, when his father stepped out of the fireplace, closely followed by his mother. Gaoithe let out a happy trill to greet them, before he asked, #Mum, could you please change me back into my human form? I'd love to be able to properly communicate with everyone.#

Minerva cast him a sharp look and said, "All right; I can do that, but you might still feel better in your phoenix form."

Before Gaoithe could insist, Severus queried, sounding surprised, "Where is Uisce?"

Gaoithe chuckled and pointed to the water phoenix at his side, #Here she is. She decided to keep me company.#

"Uisce transformed into a phoenix?" Minerva asked, eyeing the blue bird in disbelief.

"She is beautiful," Severus commented dryly. "You taught her well, Gaoithe."

#I did not teach her anything,# Gaoithe replied, causing his father to smirk.

"Your father knows that, sweetie," Minerva said soothingly. "You wouldn't be able to teach such a small child the Animagus transformation. "She must either be a natural Animagus as well or possess an immensely strong wish magic to achieve this."

"Wish magic is more likely," Severus uttered. "I remember that I was capable of wish magic when I was a small child. Now Gaoithe, are you ready?" He invitingly held his hand in front of the phoenix' feet.

Accepting the invitation, Gaoithe slowly stepped over, nestling on Severus' shoulder for an instant, before he jumped onto the floor and trilled, #Yes please.#

風の力を持つハリー

To Gaoithe's chagrin, he was still not allowed to do any magic and thus was even unable to head straight to the past in order to attend his sixth Hogwarts year together with Ceridwen.

"It doesn't matter if we leave now or in two weeks' time," Ceridwen said soothingly, "and my sister and my parents like it here so much that I believe they will even come back with us when we return in a year's time."

"Well, I prefer to be here for Draco's trial anyway," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. Although the plan, which his parents had made together with Professor Lupin, sounded reasonable, he was still worried how the trial was going to turn out, especially since Draco had only attacked his father to help him, Gaoithe.

On the day before the trial, Gaoithe assisted his father in the potions lab, brewing a batch of the antidote for Veritaserum. "The fresher the potion is the better it'll work," Severus explained as he laid out the recipe.

"When do we need to take it?" Gaoithe asked, feeling very uncomfortable at the thought of possibly being questioned under Veritaserum during Draco's trial.

"The antidote is most efficient between one and three hours; therefore, both of you should take it before leaving Hogwarts," Severus said thoughtfully, and Gaoithe nodded his consent.

However, when the families and teachers, who had remained at Hogwarts during the summer, were having dinner in the Great Hall the same day, two Aurors arrived and took Draco with them, insisting that he had to stay the night before the trial in a Ministry cell.

"This complicates everything immensely," Severus said, sighing, as the door of the Great Hall closed behind Draco and the Aurors.

"Dad, I can flash and take the antidote to Draco in the morning," Gaoithe offered, looking questioningly at his father.

"That would be a possibility," Severus said thoughtfully.

However, when the Snapes had breakfast in the morning, a Ministry owl swept into the Great Hall, informing Gaoithe, who was supposed to attend the trial as a witness, and Minerva and Severus, who had both offered to accompany Gaoithe and Draco, that the trial was going to commence three hours earlier than originally planned.

"So it's going to begin in ten minutes?" Gaoithe blurted out in disbelief, causing everyone to look at him in shock.

"This does not look good for Draco," Severus commented, his usually calm voice laced with concern. "Unfortunately, Lucius Malfoy still has a lot of friends in the Ministry."

'_Well, at least I can take the antidote_,' Gaoithe thought as he gulped down the clear liquid, trying to remember how his father had taught him to behave as if he was under the influence of Veritaserum. As soon as he was ready, he called Yuki, and the white phoenix flashed Gaoithe and his parents to the Ministry.

Gaoithe only listened half-heartedly as the trial began, feverishly searching his mind for an idea of how to possibly save Draco. However, all his hope of perhaps getting a chance to slip his friend the antidote vanished, when the Ministry Healer administered the Veritaserum.

The prosecutor asked Draco for his name as well as a few other simple questions to verify that the Veritaserum was working, before he finally asked, "Mr. Malfoy, did you cast the killing curse at your father?"

Gaoithe groaned inwardly, while his thoughts went haywire.

"Yes sir," Draco replied immediately.

Noticing that the Aurors moved closer towards Draco, Gaoithe decided to act. 'Yuki,' he thought to his familiar. 'Come to the courtroom and flash Draco away. Take him to the Merlin dungeons.' While Yuki's arrival that was accompanied by a small splash of ice distracted everyone from Draco, Gaoithe telepathically instructed his friend to grab her back feathers and to wait for him in the cellar of Merlin House. Before anyone could even realise what was happening, Yuki and Draco were gone, and a huge commotion began.

"I am sure that was Snape's doing," Lucius Malfoy shouted in rage. "He is a phoenix."

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Gaoithe Snape did not leave his seat, and other than that he is a wind phoenix and not an ice phoenix," Minister Dumbledore replied in a voice that could not deny the Minister's clear amusement. "Very well then, I believe that we can close this session for today. The trial will be reopened as soon as Draco Malfoy returns."

"I can't believe it," Gaoithe said in surprise. "Dad, can the Minister of Magic adjourn a trial? The judge and the others don't look very happy."

Severus smirked. "Well, in the magical world, this is possible. The Minister overrides everything else. Let's go home and try to find out where Draco is."

Gaoithe flashed his parents home, before he told them where Yuki had taken Draco. "I think I'm going to suggest to him that I take him to the past," he said thoughtfully. "Or do you have any other idea, where we could hide him?"

While Minerva and Severus spoke with Helga about the matter, Gaoithe flashed to Draco and quickly explained his suggestion. Draco remained thoughtful for a few minutes, before he said, "I'm afraid that's my only choice. If someone finds any other way to clear my name, please fetch me back to this time. If that's not possible, it's probably better to lead a free life in the past than to be a refugee here in this time. Thank you, Gaoithe, for helping me."

"Draco, why don't you instruct Dobby to fetch all the belongings that you want to take with you?" Gaoithe suggested, sighing. "In the meantime, I'll have to do some preparations, before I can take you to the past."

Draco agreed, and Gaoithe returned home. By the time he came back to the Merlin cellar with Ceridwen, Helga, and their parents in tow, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Draco, what do you think you're doing?" he asked in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked innocently as if not the whole corridor was full with his luggage.

"Draco, what are you going to do with that entire luggage?" Gaoithe asked incredulously. "It's not only that you won't have much more space at Hogwarts than you have now, but also that the people in the past would be very surprised to see all these modern things."

"Oh right, sorry, I didn't think about that," Draco replied, smirking as he stuck his hand into his robe pocket, only now realising that he didn't have a wand, because the Aurors had taken it from him before the trial.

"Draco, you don't have to leave everything back," Heather threw in gently. "While you're not at Hogwarts, you may stay in Ceridwen's room at our house. We don't have much space, since our houses are smaller in comparison to the houses here in the future. However, you may still take a few items with you."

Draco pointed to one of the boxes. "Then I'll take this one if that's all right." Seeing the Hufflepuffs nod, he instructed Dobby, who was quietly standing behind him, "Take everything back to Malfoy Manor in case I'll come back some time."

Helga cast a shrinking charm at Draco's box, and Gaoithe opened the door to the staircase, ushering the group downstairs, where he first took Helga and her parents back to the time at which they had left the past, before he returned to Ceridwen and Draco and led them into Merlin House in time for the day before the beginning of their sixth Hogwarts year. Like Helga had instructed him, Gaoithe led Draco to the Headmaster's office, while Ceridwen went to search for her sister.

Gaoithe unobtrusively observed Draco in concern. '_I hope he'll be able to adjust to this time_,' he mused. '_For him, who grew up at Malfoy Manor, it must be much more difficult than it was for me_.'

However, to his surprise, Draco was not only extremely grateful that he was given the opportunity to start anew in the past, but he behaved much politer than Gaoithe had expected.

"Professor Hufflepuff has told me everything," Godric began to speak. "Together with my other colleagues, we thought about what we could offer you here in this time. Although you have already taken your OWLs in the future, our classes here are to a great extend different from what they are in the future. That is at least what I heard from Professor Hufflepuff and also from Mr. Snape and his parents. Is that right, Gaoithe?"

"Yes sir," Gaoithe said, sighing inwardly.

"Therefore, it won't be easily possible for you to attend our sixth year," Godric continued. "We'd like to suggest that you try to attend sixth year classes together with Ceridwen and Gaoithe in Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms. For all other classes, we will teach you in private, so that you might or might not be able to catch up with your classmates at some stage. We'll see if you'll be able to take your OWLs at the end of your sixth year and, depending on the outcome, we'll have another suggestion to make, but we'll speak about the matter next summer."

"Thank you very much, Professor," Draco said gratefully.

In the meantime, the other professors had arrived as well, and Godric introduced Draco, before he fetched the Sorting Hat, who sorted Draco into Slytherin.

"Are you still not able to sort students into Merlin?" Gaoithe blurted out, glaring at the Hat.

"Maybe next year," Sopho replied curtly, before he quietened and Godric placed him back onto the shelf.

"Sir," Ceridwen spoke up hesitantly, "when I am in the future, I always live in the Snapes' quarters, so that the other students don't notice that I come from a different time. Won't the students in Slytherin notice that Draco is strange in comparison to them?"

"Maybe Draco could stay in my room together with me?" Gaoithe suggested, thinking, '_Since Mum and Dad are not here at the moment, I'd prefer to stay in Hufflepuff, but that's the least I can do for Draco_.'

"Very well, you may stay in your parents' quarters," Helga agreed after a quick glance at her husband. "However, I'm going to make the connecting door, which we had in the future, tonight, so that I Professor Slytherin and I will be able to check on the two of you at anytime."

With that they were dismissed, and Gaoithe and Ceridwen led Draco to the Snapes' quarters. "I wonder what they have planned for Draco," Ceridwen said thoughtfully.

"At least they're all really nice. I'll just have to do what they suggest, and whatever it is, it'll definitely be better than receiving a one-way ticket to Azkaban," Draco replied, smirking.

風の力を持つハリー

Gaoithe's sixth year in the past passed fairly uneventfully. Although Ceridwen, Gaoithe, and Gawain noticed that the teachers seemed to expect much more than before their OWLs, Gaoithe found that he had much more free time than he used to have in the future. '_Of course, in the future I have Quidditch practice, have to help Mum and Dad look after Uisce, have to help Professor Lovegood with the computers, and have to do my assignments for the past_,' he thought. He even wondered if he should stay the whole year in the past, however dismissed the idea as he thought of Uisce and his parents. To Gaoithe's relief, Draco had become good friends with Gawain, and he was getting along well in the past, so that he probably wouldn't overly miss Ceridwen and him.

At the beginning of the winter holidays, Ceridwen and Gaoithe returned to the future. Originally, Helga had wanted to join them; however, a few weeks before, she had noticed that she was pregnant and had decided not to undertake the strenuous travel in order to not possibly harm the baby.

"To when do you want to go?" Gaoithe asked Ceridwen at breakfast, right before most of their classmates were going to travel home for Christmas. "I think I should be back at least two weeks before the beginning of our sixth year, because Professor Lovegood said something about beginning with the computer classes from September onwards."

"Yes, I heard that," Ceridwen replied with a thoughtful expression on her face. "However, I believe that you should be back even earlier, on the day of the trial or the next morning at the latest. You wouldn't want anyone to think that you had something to do with Draco's escape."

"Oh that's true," Gaoithe agreed, looking at his girlfriend in appreciation. '_You're brilliant, Ceridwen. You just think of everything_,' he thought to the girl, noticing in surprise that her cheeks turned lightly pink at the sudden praise.

風の力を持つハリー

Minerva and Severus were just having tea together with all of their colleagues, when Ceridwen and Gaoithe arrived.

"Oh my, Ceridwen and Gaoithe, did something go wrong, or are you already back?" Minerva asked in surprise, causing Severus to smirk.

"Look at their ancient attire," he drawled with clear amusement, pointing out that they had completely forgotten to change their clothes to modern robes. "They must have absolved a few months of their sixth year in the past, considering that they're even wearing winter clothes."

'_Thank Merlin all of the teachers know about our time travel_,' Gaoithe mused, giving Minerva a grateful look when she waved her wand, transfiguring Ceridwen's clothes into a modern one-piece and his own clothes into blue jeans and a T-shirt.

"How is Draco?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow at his son.

"He is doing great," Gaoithe confirmed, explaining that the Founders had promised to somehow keep him at Hogwarts when he was finished with his studies.

風の力を持つハリー

During the remaining weeks of the summer holidays, Ceridwen and Gaoithe finished their assignments for the rest of their sixth year in the past, and Ceridwen began her apprenticeship with Professor Pomfrey, while Gaoithe helped Professor Lovegood with the computers. Since the new subject Computer Studies was going to commence from the new school year onwards, they equipped each of the common rooms with one computer, and every professor received a computer for their office. All computers were connected through the Wizardnet.

When the last computer was installed, Minerva thanked Professor Lovegood and Gaoithe profusely, before she let out a sigh and said, "Gaoithe, I'd like to suggest something to you." Seeing that her son looked at her in expectation, she continued, "Since Professor Lovegood has other research to do apart from the computer problems and also the Quibbler to publish, we need someone, who can assist him with the computer classes. I know that you're very busy; however, your father and I were wondering if you perhaps would like to become Professor Lovegood's assistant and teach a few classes each week."

Gaoithe looked at his mother in shock, mumbling, "Of course I'd like that, but when?"

"Easy, Gaoithe," Severus said in a soothing voice. "Considering that you already took your OWLs twice and nearly finished your sixth year in the past, we thought that it would suffice if you only attended the core classes in preparation for the NEWTs, just like Ms. Hufflepuff, who is already beginning her apprenticeship."

"Ah all right," Gaoithe said, letting out a relieved sigh. "Well then I think I'll manage to do that."

"Thank you, Gaoithe," Minerva replied, sounding very contented. "However, there is one more point, which we need to discuss."

Gaoithe looked at his mother in expectation, and she explained, "You should inform Minister Dumbledore about the Wizardnet." Seeing that he opened his mouth to protest, she continued, "Gaoithe, I am aware of the fact that you're extremely busy during the school year; however, please don't forget that Professor Dumbledore was the one who gave you the idea of researching computers in the first place."

"That's true," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "Without him I wouldn't have been able to find out how to make the computers work in the magical world at all." He let out a long sigh, asking slowly, "Do you think he'll want me to provide the whole magical world with computers like Dad and I had to brew the Wolfscure for everyone?"

Minerva fondly ruffled the boy's hair. "Gaoithe, I believe that's what he is going to ask from you. Probably, he'll want to have computers for the Ministry first, then perhaps for St. Mungo's, and finally, you'll be asked to provide computers for private users. Why don't you ask your friends if anyone is interested to learn from you and then help you with the work? I am sure that the Ministry will pay you well," she said, smiling.

"Okay, I'll speak with him," Gaoithe grudgingly agreed. "Could you perhaps call him here, so that we can speak with him together?"

"Very well then," Minerva said and headed to the fireplace to call the Minister of Magic, who stepped out of the Floo an instant later.

"Good afternoon, my boy," he gently greeted Gaoithe, pulling a small box that had the form and colour of a yellow duck out of his robe pocket, offering him a lemon drop.

Gaoithe politely declined, inwardly chuckling at the old wizard, who still loved his sweets like a little boy, and explained about the Wizardnet, noticing that Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle merrily. Like Minerva had predicted, Dumbledore asked him to provide quite a number of PCs for the Ministry and also asked Gaoithe if he could come over and teach his employees how to use the PC as well as the Wizardnet.

"There is not much on the Wizardnet itself yet; however, you'll be able to access the Muggle Internet, and Professor Lovegood and I are trying to set up a few pages for the magical world," Gaoithe informed the Minister, inwardly sighing and wondering if he would have much time for dates with Ceridwen during the upcoming school year. '_Maybe Hermione would be interested to assist_,' he thought, deciding to ask his best friend first before talking to anyone else. As soon as the Dumbledore had returned to the Ministry, Gaoithe asked his mother, "May I flash to Hermione to ask her if she is willing to assist?"

"Can't that wait until she's going to come here the day after tomorrow?" Minerva asked, rolling her eyes. "Very well then, be careful and be back, before it becomes dark," she agreed upon noticing the disappointment in Gaoithe's eyes.

Gaoithe promised everything and flashed to where he could sense Hermione, founding her sitting in the garden together with her parents.

"Gaoithe!" Hermione blurted out in surprise.

"How nice of you to join us," Mr. Granger said kindly, pointing to the empty seat at the table.

Gaoithe quickly transformed back into his human form. "I'm very sorry for disturbing," he apologized to the Grangers and explained the reason for his visit. When he was finished, he slowly turned his eyes towards Hermione, noticing that she was grinning broadly.

"Of course I'd love to learn how to work with computers and to assist you," she said in obvious excitement.

"Do you have time though?" Gaoithe asked, knowing that Hermione had agreed to become Neville's girlfriend just a few weeks ago.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she replied, "Neville will be busy studying these last two years. Professor Sprout promised to make him her apprentice after his NEWTs, provided that he manages to get 'O's in Herbology and Potions."

"An O in Potions? Well, then he'll indeed be busy studying," Gaoithe said dryly, casting his friend a doubtful look. "Oh by the way, did you hear what happened to Draco?"

Hermione sighed. "Neville told me everything. I can understand that Draco wants to remain in the past; however, what about Luna?"

"Luna?" Gaoithe queried, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Luna is his girlfriend; didn't you know that? She'll be devastated if she doesn't know already."

'_Draco and Luna_?' Gaoithe mused, still not overly liking the eccentric girl. He was pulled back to reality when Hermione spoke up again.

"Maybe you should take Luna to the past, too. She'd love to study all the magical animals in that time," Hermione suggested, her face scrunched in thought.

Gaoithe let out a long sigh. "That's probably true; however, she should take the OWLs here in the future first. That's at least something, because if she goes back to the past without having passed the OWL exams, she'll have to begin studying everything from the beginning, unlike Draco, who only has to study the core subjects." He unobtrusively glanced at his watch. "I'll talk to her when school begins. Well, I'll better transform and flash back home. I'll see you at the Welcoming Feast."

Hermione leaned over, pulling Gaoithe into a bear hug. "Bye Gaoithe, and thanks for coming over and inviting me to become your assistant."

With a broad smile on his face, Gaoithe transformed back and flashed home, glad that he had thought of asking Hermione in the first place.

風の力を持つハリー

It was at breakfast the following morning that Professor Pomfrey turned to him, asking, "Gaoithe, do you have a suggestion whom I should make Quidditch captain this year? Now that the Weasley twins are gone, we need someone else, and as much as I'd love to make you the captain, I can't do that because you're too busy otherwise and you really don't need any more burdens."

'_Oh right_,' Gaoithe only now remembered that his good friends had taken their NEWTs and had opened a joke shop at Diagon Alley. He had even given them quite an amount of money that enabled them to open their shop; however, due to the circumstances with the trial, his study time in the past, and his computer work, he had completely forgotten to go and visit them in their shop. "That's difficult," he said thoughtfully. "The twins have been such great captains during the last few years that it's hard to think of anyone else. Maybe their sister Ginny?" he suggested. "She is a brilliant Chaser, she gets along well with everyone, and I think she'd make a good captain."

The professor smiled as she responded, "Ms. Weasley would have been my choice as well. Thank you, Gaoithe."

Gaoithe returned her smile, before he addressed Ceridwen. "I'd like to go to Diagon Alley and visit the twins. Would you like to come?"

"I shall accompany you," Severus threw in, quickly exchanging a glance with his wife, who nodded her consent.

The twins' joke shop was beyond Gaoithe's imagination. From the outside, the building seemed fairly small; however, inside it was huge, and it was packed with shelves full of prank potions, prank sweets, and other joke items. '_I need to bring Dad here_,' Gaoithe thought as he eyed the back room, which held the prank potions. '_I'll ask him if he can come here with us after we meet him at the Leaky Cauldron_,' he resolved and eagerly followed George's explanation about the specific potions.

"This one would be nice for Professors Gryffindor and Slytherin, don't you think so, Gaoithe?" Ceridwen suddenly spoke up, chuckling as she pointed to a group of small phials with a light yellow liquid.

"I'd rather have the recipe than the potion," Gaoithe said, smirking at George.

"Oh well, Gaoithe, since you're a shareholder, owning 33.3 percent of the shop, you can have whatever you want," the twin responded immediately, causing Gaoithe to frown.

"Oh no, I'll properly pay for everything I buy," he contradicted in determination.

"Wait a moment," George said, smirking, and left the room through a back door, which Gaoithe had not even noticed so far. A mere instant later, he came back with a pile of parchments. "We already copied the recipes for you and your father. Feel free to advertise our products," he announced, handing the pile to Gaoithe.

Gaoithe thanked the twin profusely, promising to try out the recipes as soon as he could. 'We're going to have some fun, especially with Professors Gryffindor and Slytherin,' he thought to Ceridwen, inwardly chuckling in anticipation as he proceeded to choose some harmless sweets for his friends and Uisce.

風の力を持つハリー

Since their sixth year was only just going to begin, Gaoithe had to wait a few months, before he could go back to the past to pull a few pranks on the Founders. However, with classes, homework, Quidditch, and teaching computer classes, he became easily distracted, and before Gaoithe even realised how the time flew by, the last week before the Christmas holidays begun.

Unfortunately, when Gaoithe took a shower on Monday morning that week, he noticed in surprise that his body had taken on strange colours. His legs had become very dark, while his stomach looked like that of a Dalmatian, and his face displayed different shades of blue as if he had fought with someone the previous day. Only then he realised that every part of his body ached terribly. '_I just hope I won't get sick_,' he thought; however, when he entered the living room, where Ceridwen was lecturing Hermione, who looked equally colourful, he knew better.

"Oh no," Ceridwen said as her eyes fell on Gaoithe. "You're sick too. I've seen this before. I think it's the merism flu, but I'm not sure, and I don't know how to brew the potion for that," she said thoughtfully, giving her boyfriend a sharp look. "I'm going to take both of you to the hospital wing."

"No," Gaoithe protested, noticing that his chest hurt and it was getting difficult to breathe. "Where are my parents?"

"They had to go to see the Minister very early this morning, and Uisce is still asleep." Ceridwen waved her wand at the door to Uisce's room that would alert her when the toddler woke up or had other difficulties, before she dragged the two friends to the hospital wing.

Professor Pomfrey motioned them to the first two beds and immediately began to cast a series of diagnostic spells on the two students. Finally, she cast Ceridwen an enquiring look, asking, "Ms. Hufflepuff, do you have an idea what might be ailing them?" When the girl repeated her earlier diagnosis, she nodded thoughtfully, before she headed to her office and fetched a large tome. '_Modern Potions for Magical Diseases_' was written in the letters that had been used in the time of the Founders. She handed the book to Ceridwen, who quickly found the respective page for her.

"Very well," the Healer said decisively. "I'll have to ask Professor Snape if he knows how to brew the potion for the merism flu and has all necessary ingredients when he returns from the Ministry. Otherwise, you'll just have to stay here for a few days." She made each of them drink a fever reducing potion and instructed them to stay in bed until she came back from her morning classes. Completely ignoring Hermione's protests, she swiftly left the room with Ceridwen in tow.

風の力を持つハリー

Two hours later, Hermione was still dragging herself around the hospital wing, ranting and searching for some kind of school book in order to be able to at least study as long as their Head of House was in class.

"Gaoithe!" she suddenly shouted, coughing harshly. "Wake up and look. Isn't that Lucius Malfoy? He is just walking up to the castle. He'll be in the entrance hall in a blink. We have to do something."

"Hmm?" Gaoithe asked, lazily rubbing his eyes. "Malfoy?" He dragged himself to the window, only to see that a darkly clothed man with long white hair opened the entrance doors.

"Come with me," Gaoithe instructed Hermione and transformed into his phoenix form. As soon as he felt the girl grip his back feathers, he flashed to the Control Room in the Merlin dungeons. "Where is he now?" he asked urgently.

The two friends feverishly searched the halls leading away from the entrance hall. "Here," Hermione finally said, pointing to the black dot labelled '_Lucius Malfoy_.'

"Oh no," Gaoithe groaned. As quickly as he could, he placed a wall on top of the staircase that Lucius Malfoy was just climbing upstairs. Almost simultaneously, Hermione added another wall to the bottom of the staircase.

Hermione and Gaoithe observed how Malfoy's dot stopped moving when he reached the wall. An instant later, the wall shook for an instant but remained firmly in its place. "Wow, was that a blasting spell?" Gaoithe queried, his voice hoarse but laced with clear amusement.

"Apparently," Hermione replied dryly, observing Malfoy descend the staircase.

All of a sudden, the black dot moved sideward and then completely vanished from the spot, causing the two friends to skim the map in shock. "Where can he have gone?" Gaoithe asked, terrified. "He's not supposed to be able to apparate from within Hogwarts."

Hermione began to chuckle. "No Gaoithe; that's a staircase. Look, he's here; he must have jumped down to the next lower staircase." She quickly applied walls to the lower staircases, nodding in relief when Gaoithe joined her activity.

However, her satisfied expression soon turned into a frown when dozens of black dots appeared in front the walls at the end of the staircases. "Oh no, the last morning class is just over, and everyone tries to get to the Great Hall," she groaned.

"Well, everyone will just have to wait for a moment," Gaoithe said grimly, before he suddenly began to chuckle. "Merlin," he read, pointing to a second black dot right next to Malfoy. "I guess Malfoy is in for some fun."

"I'd love to know what they're doing," Hermione responded, letting out a huge gasp when all of a sudden the staircase began to move. She hurriedly turned to add more walls, when Gaoithe gripped her arm.

"Mione, wait. Let's see where it heads. We should lock him into a corridor, so that we can open the staircases for everyone else," he said firmly.

"Oh right, that's true," Hermione agreed, and the two friends observed how the two dots moved into a corridor on the sixth floor.

"That corridor doesn't lead anywhere except for a small balcony at the end," Gaoithe said thoughtfully. "I wonder if Merlin is helping him or trying to help us."

"Anyway, let's put up a wall behind him, so that he can't go back to the staircase, and remove all the other walls we added," Hermione said tiredly and set to work.

Gaoithe diligently removed the walls, which were blocking the staircases, while he absentmindedly followed the two black dots head out onto the balcony. "What?" he blurted out, when suddenly a third spot appeared.

The new spot was labelled 'Buckbeak', and before Gaoithe and Hermione realised what was happening, the three dots took into the air and speedily moved towards the far corner of the zoo.

"What's over there?" Hermione asked curiously, glancing at Gaoithe. "I've never been to that part of the zoo."

Gaoithe chuckled and could only shortly reply, "That's not really part of the zoo," before he ended up in a coughing fit.

"What is it then?" Hermione asked impatiently, giving Gaoithe a sharp look. "Is Merlin helping him or trying to get rid of him?"

"I think he's trying to prank him, but I'm not sure," Gaoithe replied, coughing again. Before he could regain enough breath to explain, Ghost Merlin swept into the room, grinning mischievously.

"Thank you, Gaoithe, for allowing me to have so much fun," the ghost said in a sing song that reminded Gaoithe strangely of the Weasley twins.

"Malboy didn't overly like it," Merlin continued, causing Hermione and Gaoithe to smirk at the evil wizard's name. "First of all, I cast an undressing spell at him. Oh no," he added, seeing that Hermione was looking at him strangely, "not what you think. I left him in his underwear. Then I led him to the nice balcony, which is one of my favourite hideouts, and telepathically contacted Peeves, who called Buckbeak."

"Peeves," Gaoithe said, sighing in understanding. "I was wondering why Buckbeak appeared all of a sudden."

"And Buckbeak," Merlin continued, chuckling, "grabbed him and carried him to the dung heap behind the zoo. Malboy just loved being covered in dung just in his underwear."

"Uh," Gaoithe commented, shuddering at the thought. "Anyway, well done, Merlin. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. I suggest going to the History Vision Room to watch the entire scene," Merlin said, letting out a cackling laughter as he swept out of the room.

"Oh well, Malfoy will come back to search for Draco; that's for sure," Hermione said, sighing.

_tbc..._


	37. Chapter 37

**Lord of the Wind - by teddylonglong **

_Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1. _

* * *

**Chapter 37**

However, the remaining months of their sixth Hogwarts year passed uneventfully. They only heard about Malfoy and his followers attacking Muggles through the Quibbler; however, the evil wizard neither showed up at Hogwarts again, nor did he attack anyone during the students' Hogsmeade visits. '_I wonder what he is planning_,' Gaoithe mused. '_I can't imagine that he is going to give up so easily, neither his search for Draco, nor his wish to take revenge on me. Merlin should have got rid of him, so that I could fetch Draco back to this time_,' he thought repeatedly.

"Gaoithe, take it easy," Severus told him equally often. "It's Draco's own fault that he cast an unforgivable spell at his father. He is very lucky that you rescued him and took him to the past, so that he could begin anew, and I believe that he appreciates it very much. When you go back to the past for your seventh year, your mother and I will accompany you, and I'll have a conversation with Draco."

"Thank you, Dad," Gaoithe said, feeling very comforted and happy that he could speak with his parents about everything.

風の力を持つハリー

At the beginning of the summer holidays, Luna and her father travelled to the past together with the Snapes. While Ceridwen and Gaoithe studied for their NEWTs together with Draco and Gawain, the Founders gave Luna, her father, and six-year-old Uisce special introductory classes. Ceridwen and Gaoithe remained in the past for their whole seventh year, and both of them managed to pass their NEWTs flawlessly.

"I am very proud and happy for you," Helga told them, successively pulling them into bear hugs. "I understand that you want to live in the future, but please don't forget about us and come back here at least once a year."

"Of course we'll do that," Gaoithe promised, while Ceridwen was busily wiping her eyes. "Professor, why don't you come with us and stay for our second seventh year?" he asked kindly.

"I'll do that," Helga replied right away.

"Will your parents come as well?" Gaoithe asked eagerly. '_I'd love to have them all with us. I really like the Hufflepuffs_,' he thought, gently laying his arm around Ceridwen's back.

"They wouldn't want to go now," Helga said slowly. "In fact, I talked to them about the matter, and they told me that they wanted to be there for Draco and Luna, at least until Luna finishes her NEWTs next summer. I don't know if Draco told you, but he is going to be our new Flying instructor from the new school year onwards, and Luna will teach Care of Magical Creatures as our new selective subject."

"Wow, that's wonderful," Gaoithe said in amazement. "Thank you so much for giving them this chance here in this time."

風の力を持つハリー

When Gaoithe and his family returned to the future at the beginning of his seventh year, the Quibbler was full of attacks on Muggles, Halfbloods, and even Muggle born students. '_Does he want to get to me with that?_' Gaoithe kept wondering until Malfoy chose to attack directly during the last week before the winter holidays.

Gaoithe was just sitting in the Potions classroom, brewing one of the potions, which were often topic of the NEWTS, when Minerva's voice sounded through the castle. "All students and teachers, please gather in the Great Hall immediately. No exceptions. Hurry up, everyone!"

Severus waved his wand over the classroom, banishing all potions from all the cauldrons at once, before he said, "You heard the Headmistress. Go to the Great Hall. We'll clean up here afterwards."

'_Is Malfoy attacking Hogwarts?_' Gaoithe mused, casting a questioning look at his father, who was, however, wearing a blank expression and seemed to be as calm as usual. '_Maybe I should rather flash into the control room,_' he mused. He pulled Ceridwen with him to Severus and said, "I'll flash the two of you. I want to know what this is about quickly."

Minerva was already waiting for them. "Thank Merlin there you are," she said as Gaoithe flashed in together with Ceridwen and Severus. "There is a dragon attacking the castle. He already damaged parts of the Hufflepuff tower."

"A dragon?" Gaoithe asked in surprise. "Do you think Malfoy sent it? Oh well, I'll go and speak with it."

"No Gaoithe, don't," Minerva said firmly, glaring at her son.

#Mum, I promise to be careful,# Gaoithe, who had already transformed into his phoenix form, trilled back and flashed outside. '_Wow, that thing is huge_,' he realised as he envisioned the dragon. He hurriedly changed into the same kind of dragon and quickly approached the large animal.

=Hello there, what are you doing here?= he asked gently.

=Who are you? I didn't know that there were other dragons around,= the dragon replied in apparent confusion, letting go of the wall of the Hufflepuff common room for a moment.

=I am half human and half dragon,= Gaoithe lied, speaking in a soft voice. = Please don't destroy our castle by the way. If there is any way we can help you, you only have to tell me what you need and we'll do what we can.=

=Do you know the human Dark Lord? He cast some spell at me and instructed me to destroy this castle, but the spell must have somehow broken. He told me I had to do it before I'd go and meet other dragons. Why should I destroy the castle?= The dragon rubbed his front legs together, seemingly confused.

=If I might offer something to you,= Gaoithe said thoughtfully, =I'll help you find your way back to where you come from, if you help me destroy the Dark Lord.=

=You will really help me back to my family?= the dragon asked with excitement, causing Gaoithe to inwardly chuckle.

=Yes,= he promised. =My good friends' brother works in a dragon reserve in Rumania, and I'll ask people to fly with brooms to take you there later today.=

=Thank you so much,= the dragon replied. =I am only a child, and I miss my family. I don't know how I happened to get lost and ended up here.=

=No problem,= Gaoithe said, smiling as the dragon excitedly breathed a small flame of fire. =Do you know the way back to the Dark Lord's residence?=

The dragon nodded eagerly. =I don't like him,= he admitted in a small voice, =but he made me obey somehow.=

=I understand,= Gaoithe reassured the other dragon, before they took into the air together. They were just crossing the apparition border, when a huge wave of flames hit them from behind.

'_What's that?_' Gaoithe thought, terrified, and turned his head backwards. '_Thank Merlin I'm a dragon. Otherwise, I'd have been badly injured by that_.' When he looked closer at the two dragons that were following them, he realised that it was the two dragons that he was keeping in the zoo. '_How could I be so stupid?_' he wondered. '_I completely forgot about them_.' He quickly explained to the dragons what they were going to do, and both agreed to help with their fight against Lucius Malfoy.

Gaoithe noticed soon that he couldn't keep up with the dragons' fast speed and decided to flash to Malfoy Manor and hide, while he waited for the dragons to arrive. '_My phoenix form is better anyway, because it enables me to sense if Malfoy is at home at all_,' he thought. '_Yes, he is. Thank Merlin Draco's mother is living with her sister now, so she won't be injured if we destroy the Manor_.' As soon as he saw the dragons, glad that he could see them from far away due to their size, he transformed into the dragon once again, and together, the four dragons attacked Malfoy Manor.

Gaoithe smiled happily when he saw Lucius Malfoy step out into the garden and shout at them. '_Wait until I show you something_,' he thought and, using an ancient spell, he conjured an image of an oversized golden phoenix up in the sky above Malfoy Manor. The phoenix turned around itself, spitting out the letters, '_the Lord of the Wind_.' Feeling contented with the display, he turned around to see what the dragons were doing. Realising that they were slowly taking off the roof of the Manor, he looked down at the tall, blonde man in the garden and quickly provoked a hurricane just above the evil wizard.

'_I'm sorry, no, I'm not_,' he thought when he saw Malfoy collapse on the ground. He toyed with the idea of killing the badly injured man; however, he decided against it. Remembering that Dumbledore had promised to lock Malfoy into Azkaban as soon as someone caught the slippery wizard, he telepathically thought to the Minister of Magic, '_Professor Dumbledore, please send a few Aurors to Malfoy Manor. Malfoy is here, and he is badly injured_.' While he was waiting for the Aurors to arrive, he instructed the dragons to stop attacking the Manor and to fly back to Hogwarts.

=May I stay at Hogwarts as well?= the smaller dragon asked pleadingly. =I already became good friends with the two of them, and I'd love to remain with them.=

=Of course you may,= Gaoithe replied, smiling. =Our magical zoo is large enough for everyone.=

When Gaoithe flashed back to Hogwarts an hour later, he happily told his parents that the Aurors had taken Lucius Malfoy to Azkaban, where he would receive the kiss from the few, remaining Dementors right away.

"Thank Merlin you're back," Minerva said in apparent relief, while Severus gave Gaoithe a sharp look.

"Gaoithe, are you completely unharmed?" he asked sternly.

"Of course," Gaoithe replied, chuckling. "That was actually fun."

"That was no fun," Uisce threw in, sounding very angry. "Ceridwen and I were very worried."

"Oh I'm so sorry, sweetie," Gaoithe said, smiling at the upset girl as he pulled her into a bear hug, before he leaned over to Ceridwen and kissed her.

"I don't know if Draco and Luna want to come back to this time, but I think I should at least go and ask them," he said thoughtfully, glancing at his wrist watch.

"Gaoithe, can I go with you?" Uisce asked eagerly, causing Gaoithe to chuckle.

"May I go," Severus corrected the girl, before he added in a no-nonsense voice, "Neither you nor Gaoithe will go anywhere today. Gaoithe did enough magic for one day, and it is near your bedtime already."

風の力を持つハリー

Finally, Gaoithe took a short trip to the past alone, while he was awake very early on Christmas morning. He informed Draco and Luna about Lucius Malfoy's fate, handing them the special edition of the Quibbler that confirmed that Lucius Malfoy had been given the Dementor's kiss at Azkaban.

"I'm sorry, Draco," he apologized to his friend in a small voice. "As evil as he was, he was still your father."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Gaoithe, how many times did he try to kill you? I even wanted to get rid of him, so there is certainly no need to apologize. Considering your offer to take us back to the future, I need to discuss this with Luna. She agreed to become my wife next summer, and we have to decide about our future together."

"I'd prefer to stay in this time," Luna threw in, looking dreamily at Draco. "The animals and the people here are just wonderful."

"We stay," Draco told Gaoithe, smiling proudly at his fiancée. "Come back for our wedding on the first of July."

"I will," Gaoithe promised and returned to the future, glad that his two friends were so happy in the past.

風の力を持つハリー

During the remaining months of their last Hogwarts year as students, Gaoithe and his friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was on an evening in April, when Ceridwen was assisting Helga and Poppy in the hospital wing, that Minerva and Severus told Gaoithe they wanted to discuss something with him.

"All right," Gaoithe replied, immediately putting his quill down.

"Gaoithe, have you ever thought about what you'd like to do after taking your NEWTs?" Severus asked gently, giving his son an assessing look.

"Err... I thought that I could continue teaching computer classes?" Gaoithe replied, looking questioningly at his parents. "I love teaching; it's fun."

Minerva let out a snort, while Severus smirked. "It's good to know that I have a fun job," he commented dryly.

Minerva let out a long sigh. "I know that you like teaching, and you're doing a great job. Even the Minister is very pleased with the courses you gave at the Ministry. However, I was thinking about setting up a new subject, 'Ancient Magic,' provided that you'd be willing to teach it."

"Ancient Magic?" Gaoithe repeated in surprise. "I'd like that," he said thoughtfully; "however, I'm not sure if I'll be able to teach that."

Severus smirked again. "Well, you'd have to make a detailed lesson plan first, but your mother, Ceridwen, Professor Hufflepuff, and I would all be willing to help you if necessary, and the Founders would be more than happy to advise you on what to teach."

"Well, setting up the lesson plan is probably the most difficult thing," Gaoithe agreed. "All right then; if the two of you deem me adequate for the job, I'll do it," he said, smiling, before a thought crossed his mind. "In this case, are you going to ask Hermione to teach the computer classes?"

"That's what we intended to do," Minerva said gently. "Is that all right with you?"

"Of course," Gaoithe said excitedly. "It would be great to have her and Neville here at Hogwarts with us. They've been our best friends for ages."

Unbeknownst to Gaoithe, Severus observed his son with amusement. '_It's remarkable how Gaoithe has changed since he first came to Howarts_,' he thought proudly. '_He is still as sweet and loving as he was, but he has become an amazing young man_.'

Too soon for Gaoithe's liking, his last Hogwarts year came to the end. As glad as he was that his NEWTs were over, as much he regretted that all of his seventh year friends except for Ceridwen, Hermione, and Neville would leave Hogwarts in a few days' time.

"I'm going to miss Merlin House," he said, a sad expression on his face, when he and Ceridwen were having tea together with his parents and their colleagues in the Snape quarters after the Leaving feast.

"Gaoithe," Professor Pomfrey said gently, "I meant to ask you earlier, but I always forget it. Even if Ceridwen is a wonderful assistant and I'm glad to have her, I am still very busy, and I'd really be glad if someone took over the Head of House duties. Would you be willing to become the Merlin Head of House?"

Gaoithe stared at the Healer in shock. "I don't know," he said slowly. "Well, yes, I'd love to become the Merlin Head, but I don't have any experience what so ever and..."

"Nonsense," Severus threw in. "When I became the Slytherin Head, I had even less experience than you have. Apart from that, I'm sure that Professor Pomfrey would be willing to assist whenever you need help, and your mother and I are here as well."

Minerva thoughtfully cleared her throat, before she said, "There are a few things, which I'd like to change from the beginning of the next school year anyway."

Seeing that everyone looked at her in expectance, Minerva continued, "I'd like to set up a system, so that every Head of House has an assistant, who can jump in at times when the main Head is busy or otherwise incapacitated. I also wondered if it might be better to have a female and a male Head, because teenagers might feel more comfortable to speak about certain problems with a teacher of the same gender."

They agreed that Gaoithe should become the main Head of Merlin, while Poppy would become his assistant. The teachers also decided that the assistant Head did not necessarily have to be someone, who came from the same House, so that Neville became Professor Sprout's assistant even as Head of House, Hermione became Professor Black's assistant as Gryffindor Head, and Severus asked Ceridwen to become his assistant for Slytherin.

風の力を持つハリー

Two weeks into the holidays that were spent with preparations for the new school year, a huge group of people consisting of the Snapes and several of the teachers, travelled into the past to participate in Draco's and Luna's wedding.

'_Luna looks wonderful in her white wedding robes with the flowers in her hair_,' Gaoithe mused as he absentmindedly listened to Godric's words as the Founder performed the ceremony. '_Ceridwen will look even more beautiful_.' He glanced over to where his parents were sitting and thought to his father, 'Dad, will you go with me to the Hufflepuffs and ask them if I may marry Ceridwen next year?'

'I shall ask them for an appointment, before they return to their home later today,' Severus promised, and Gaoithe noticed that his father sounded very happy.

'_I am happy, too_,' he thought. '_I just hope that they'll agree and that Ceridwen really wants to become my wife_.'

The conversation with Ceridwen's parents took place on the following day, and to Gaoithe's great relief, the Hufflepuffs agreed and suggested to hold the wedding ceremony exactly one year later. "We'll prepare everything here in this time, and we'll also provide the robes for Ceridwen and Gaoithe," Heather said gently.

Severus inclined his head and thanked the Hufflepuffs, before he promised to buy the wedding rings and everything else that was deemed necessary for the wedding in the future.

"I'll ask Ceridwen right away," Gaoithe told Severus on their way back to the castle.

Severus chuckled. "Good luck, son," he said without even the slightest hint of doubt that Ceridwen might not agree. "Don't forget that you have to take everyone except for us back to the future later today."

"Oh right, I'll do that right after I speak with Ceridwen," Gaoithe promised and returned to his room to fetch the small package with the ring, which he had bought in Hogsmeade on the day after his last NEWT exam. He went to search for his fiancée, who was helping her sister to rearrange her potions shelf. Gaoithe waited patiently until Ceridwen interrupted her work and looked at him in expectation. "Err… sorry to disturb you," he said, suddenly feeling very excited. "Do you have a few minutes?"

"Of course she has," Helga replied, grinning broadly. "Thanks for your help, Ceridwen. Now go and enjoy yourself."

Gaoithe led Ceridwen to the unicorns. "Let's go for a ride," he suggested, smiling when Moonlight happily licked his face.

They mounted the unicorns and greatly enjoyed their ride in the beautiful sunshine. "Where are we going?" Ceridwen asked, apparently noticing that Gaoithe was strangely agitated.

Gaoithe merely smirked and led her to a spot, which he had discovered during his seventh year in the past, when he went for a unicorn ride together with his father. It was on one of the mountains that looked as if it was far away from Hogwarts; however, from one spot of the mountain, one could see the castle, the grounds, and even the lake as if they were situated just at the foot of the mountain. They got off the unicorns and sat next to each other in the grass.

"This is a beautiful place," Ceridwen said kindly. "I wonder why no one ever took me here."

"Maybe no one knows about it," Gaoithe replied. "Dad and I only discovered it by chance." He slowly pulled the small box out of his robe pocket and motioned for the girl to close her eyes. When she complied, his mouth searched her lips and pulled her into a kiss to distract her, while his hands opened the box and slid the ring over her ring finger.

Ceridwen slowly pulled away and looked at her left hand in shock. "Gaoithe, what… Oh wow," she interrupted herself. She looked at the golden ring with the pattern of various herbs in amazement. "This is absolutely fantastic."

"Ceridwen, will you marry me?" Gaoithe asked softly. "Your parents agreed to our wedding next summer."

"Of course I will," Ceridwen responded in an equally soft voice, before she asked, "Next year? That's so far away."

Gaoithe chuckled at her slightly disappointed tone and happily covered her mouth with his lips. '_The year will be over so quickly, especially considering that I have to teach Ancient Magic and haven't even made as much as a lesson plan_,' he thought. '_I'll ask Professors Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for their advice_,' he decided, while he gently laid his arm around Ceridwen's back and absentmindedly enjoyed the sunshine.

風の力を持つハリー

As Gaoithe had predicted, his first year of teaching passed very quickly, especially since he was extremely busy with the preparation of his classes and his Head of House duties, even if Poppy took over for him very often, knowing from experience that the first year of teaching was always the busiest for a teacher.

Gaoithe realised soon that it was much fun to teach the students about the things, which he had learned in the past, and he found that the younger students in his House, especially the ten small first years, were absolutely cute. '_I wonder where Uisce is going to be sorted_,' he thought, smiling as he observed his sister practise the charm, which he had just taught her, with her children's wand. His parents had counted the months that Uisce had spent in the past and, realising that she was already nine years old in spite of the official six and a half, had decided to change her official birth date, so that she would officially be eleven next summer and could enter Hogwarts as a student. '_Well, considering that she more or less already finished her first Hogwarts year in the past, she won't have any problems, even if she's a bit younger than her classmates_,' Gaoithe thought, feeling very proud of his little sister, who still absolutely adored him and tried to step into his footsteps in every possible way.

風の力を持つハリー

If everyone had been amazed by Luna's and Draco's wedding, they were stunned at the beautifully decorated Hogwarts grounds and the display that the unicorns performed at Ceridwen's and Gaoithe's wedding.

Gaoithe was extremely excited when his parents led him out onto the grounds. Ceridwen was still nowhere to be seen. Gaoithe followed Minerva and Severus and looked around in awe, grateful for Uisce's babbling that distracted him, until a collective gasp could be heard when Ceridwen appeared in the entrance doors. She was beautiful. '_She's going to be my wife in a few minutes_,' Gaoithe thought happily, taking in her white dress robes that were decorated with an all over pattern of real flowers in awe. He instantly stepped over to her, remembering right in time that he had been instructed to not kiss her before the ceremony was over.

"You're wonderful," he said to the girl in admiration.

"Thank you," Ceridwen replied, smiling the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen. "You're, too. These green dress robes suit you really well," she whispered back.

While Godric performed the ceremony, Gaoithe was unable to concentrate on anything but how happy he was to marry Ceridwen, so that he completely missed Godric's words and looked up startled when Uisce climbed on his lap and whispered, "You must answer, Gaoithe."

"Gaoithe Snape, do you want to take Ceridwen Hufflepuff to your wedded wife and love her with all your magic until death parts you?" Godric asked, apparently for the second time, considering his slightly impatient tone.

"Yes sir," Gaoithe replied firmly and shot Ceridwen an apologetic look, sighing in relief when she responded positively as well. A huge smile appeared on his face as he accepted Ceridwen's ring from Godric and carefully slipped it over her finger. Ceridwen did the same for him and Godric announced, "Herewith I declare you man and wife. Mr. Snape-Hufflepuff, you may now kiss your wife."

Under huge applause, Gaoithe leaned over and gently kissed Ceridwen.

風の力を持つハリー

When Ceridwen and Gaoithe returned to the Snapes' quarters and entered Gaoithe's room, they looked around in surprise. They found themselves in a living room, similar to those of Helga's or the Snapes' quarters.

Helga and Minerva, who accompanied them, chuckled at their stunned expressions. "We thought that you should have your own quarters," Helga explained gently, pointing out that the living room was connected to both their quarters.

'_It's strange but somehow cool_,' Gaoithe thought as he led Ceridwen into the bedroom to explore their new quarters.

風の力を持つハリー

In the same way, Severus and Minerva provided Ceridwen and Gaoithe with their own quarters with a connecting door to their living room in the future.

"This does not mean that we're throwing you out of our quarters," Severus said, smirking. "It is just in case you need a bit more privacy."

The young couple appreciated Gaoithe's parents' thoughtfulness; however, even when the new school year began, they always spent their free time in the Snapes' quarters. It was a year later, when Ceridwen's and Gaoithe's first baby was born, that the family life began to shift from the Snapes' quarters to the Snape-Hufflepuffs', especially since Uisce, who was about to finish her first Hogwarts year, was spending the evenings in the Merlin common room.

Gaoithe was absolutely delighted when his sister was sorted into his own House, especially as it gave him the opportunity to speak with her almost every evening, when he spent some time in the common room, instead of only seeing her in class.

風の力を持つハリー

The baby was born during the last week of the school year. She had light brown hair, and also the structure of her face resembled that of Ceridwen and her sister, although she had inherited Gaoithe's green eyes.

"Let's name her Helga," Gaoithe suggested, and Ceridwen happily agreed, which reminded Gaoithe that he had promised Helga to fetch her immediately when the baby was born.

"What do you think about Fred and George as godparents?" Ceridwen asked, before he could voice his thought.

"I think that's a brilliant idea," Gaoithe replied, and to everyone's surprise, the first present, which the newborn girl received, was an unlimited life-long voucher for the famous joke shop Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes.

"I can imagine that many students envy you for this, little one," Severus said dryly, smirking as he turned to the twins. "Come to my office tomorrow night. I have a new recipe for you."

風の力を持つハリー

It was more difficult for Ceridwen and Gaoithe to find godparents, when Ceridwen gave birth to triplets a year later. The happy parents decided to name them Salazar, Godric, and Rowena and made Neville, Hermione, Draco, Luna, Gawain and Uisce the godparents. When Gaoithe travelled into the past to fetch Helga and her parents as well as the three godparents from the time of the Founders, the grandparents Heather and Heath decided to present their small home at Hogsmeade to Luna and Draco and to move into the future to look after their four grandchildren.

_**Epilogue**_

Severus observed with amusement how his son was completely engrossed with the invention of a new prank potion that he wanted to try out on Salazar Slytherin, who was visiting them in the future together with Helga.

"Dad," Gaoithe said excitedly, holding out a recipe to him. "Do you think that's going to work?"

Severus skimmed the recipe with interest that turned into disbelief. "You want to extinguish candles with that?" he queried, quirking an eyebrow at his son, who began to chuckle.

"Well, one of the twins' potions gave me the idea. I want to make Salazar drink the potion and make him cause all torches to dim as soon as he enters a room," Gaoithe explained, looking questioningly at his father.

"I believe that might work," Severus replied thoughtfully. "However, you won't be able to actually brew the potion today. In fact, your mother and your wife expect us to be outside in a few minutes."

"Why?" Gaoithe asked in surprise. "Uisce promised to entertain the kids, and…"

"Anyway, let's see what they want," Severus said firmly, grinning inwardly at his son's complete ignorance.

Gaoithe glared at his father but obediently cleaned his workspace and followed the older wizard out of his lab and out onto the grounds, wondering what his father was up to. When he stepped outside into the sunshine, he noticed in surprise that the lake was decorated with colourful balloons, displaying the number '30'. Before he could guess the reason, a multiple "Happy Birthday, Gaoithe!" penetrated his ear.

"My birthday?" he asked in surprise. "I completely forgot about that."

"I know," Ceridwen said, chuckling as she pulled him into a bear hug. "But we didn't."

Gaoithe looked around in amazement, seeing that all of his friends from this time and those from the past, who were visiting over the summer, were gathered around them, waiting for their turn to congratulate him and hand him a present. '_My robes will be black if I survive all these hugs_,' he thought and grudgingly let go off his wife.

The highlight of the day, which could barely be topped by an enormous firework display performed by the Weasley twins, was an Animagus display, arranged by Uisce and her four nieces and nephews. Aunt Uisce, who had just finished her NEWTs and was going to be the new Charms teacher from the next school year onwards, had taught the triplets and their sister to become phoenix Animagi, knowing from Ceridwen that all four of them were natural Animagi like Gaoithe. Together with the four children, she transformed into her own phoenix form, and the five beautiful birds performed a fantastic show in their different kind of phoenix forms, before they landed safely on the grounds, transformed back into their human forms, and shouted simultaneously, "Long live the Lord of the Wind".

**The End**

_Thank you all very much for your continuous support and encouragement throughout this story / this year. It was much fun to write this, and I hope that you had as much fun to read. I hope to see you all again with the Tapestry of Time, which is an Animagus / Time travel story as well - but with a completely different twist..._


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